07/02/2024
** Major Announcement **
Long Post Warning
“There is a time for everything, and a season for everything under the heavens” - Ecclesiastes 3:1
As I lay here with a heavy heart second guessing every word I am about to share with you tonight I’m being reminded over and over of the verse above and I truly believe it’s just the lord covering me in a giant blanket and a hug that I so desperately need to get through this.
In 1993 under bright stage lights and in a beautiful yellow costume God sparked a love for dance in a little blonde that never faded over the years . As the years passed , she was molded and shaped by the most beautiful, selfless , talented dance instructors in the business. She was taught confidence, perseverance, how to take criticism, how to win with humbleness and how to lose with grace and how to share her heart through movement. Though time passed and the stage lights grew dim on her time to shine the secret desire in her heart to share her love with others never lost its spark. That little girl you guys all know by now was me . For years and years owning a studio seemed like a pipe dream one that only few heard me speak openly about. I can’t tell you the times Maelisa Smith had to hear me pass a building and say “that would be a beautiful dance space”. And like the good lord always does .. when I’d all but lost hope that the desire of my heart would ever be mine ..he appeared.
Walking into that building downtown was like walking through a dream. I had to pinch myself to make sure I hadn’t died and gone on to glory ( as dance nanny would say). I remember sitting in the big studio room floor and just crying huge tears of joy not believing I was worthy . I still feel just as unworthy today for all the many blessings that followed that day. From those tears my Glam Family was born.
My goal from the moment I stepped in those doors was to share my love of dance and cultivate the local talent we had no matter a families situation. My heart has been ensuring that no child ever looked in those windows and wished to dance but felt they couldn’t because of money, race, religion , or place in life. It was never truly a business … it was always about family. Over the last 9 years together we’ve built the foundation of this family on love , laughter, growth, sadness, joy, loss, hugs, glue, eyelashes, sparkles and lots and lots of coffee🥰.
It’s not always been easy.. as a matter of fact there were lots and lots of hard times but man can I say it’s been worth it. My dream may have at times cost me peace, sleep, friendship, and even a seat at many tables but it repayed me ten fold with glam baby kisses, “watch this Miss Kayla’s”, dance nanny funnies, invitations to birthday parties, giant sleepovers with a ton of girls, and a family of dance mothers who love me not despite my flaws but because of them . My dream has brought me to the height of success and to the lowest pits of despair and my Glam Family have been with me in both. Am I a perfect business owner ? Absolutely not.. because it was never treated like a business … it was treated as a mission field and that’s something that I will always be proud of.
Over the last 9 years I’ve been so blessed to have taught almost 300 local dancers, watch upwards of 60 dancers compete across the Southeast, cry atleast 5,482 times (if you know you know 😂), and get caught in the Mcwane center parking lot after closing twice, and falling asleep in the Alabama Theatre well were not gonna talk about it 😳
Our non- profit organization , while operable, raised over $150,000 to sponsor dancers competition and training expenses for 4 seasons. It ensured students who would have never had the chance their opportunity to dance while simultaneously giving me and Amber Robinson early gray hairs 😂Giving my all to my Glam Family was always worth it it was never even a question . Even when I thought I lost it all .. God was faithful . He was so so good to me .
Many of you may not be aware but this past year has been very hard on me in regards to my physical health. I’ve battled what seemed like one set back after another just to power through this season but watching my girls shine was always enough to keep me pushing and grinding. However, I have come to a place in my life where burning the candle at both ends and in the middle too just isn’t possible anymore (though I wish it were). My children need a healthy momma, and a present momma and as much as it breaks my heart that requires giving up my dream for now.
In the words of my favorite childhood character Pooh , “How lucky am I that I have something that makes saying goodbye so hard..” When meeting with my team for the last time together, I shared with them that sometimes doing the right thing is the hardest thing and oh my heart how true that is. I’ve cried so much with them over the course of the last two weeks my heart is in a drought .. and how blessed I am that they would consider shedding their tears over me . So as of today my dream of life as a studio owner is facing its final curtain call and I have one last finale …
Below you will find a video of close to 10 years of beautiful memories to a background of some of our favorite songs. I encourage you to go laugh, cry and relive some of our favorite moments because once you are glam fam you are fam for life . I would love to close out with any current or former dance family members sharing a memory in my comments that you have of your time with me or even mention your favorite routines. I believe it will help my heart heal a little from this very hard decision. Feel free to tag someone when you see their picture . There are prek pics and comp pics from the very beginning so who knows you may see your sweet baby 🥰
Please know I love each of you more than I could ever begin to compose in words. I’ve been given more than I could ever deserve and I’ll never get over my little dance family! Please pray for my heart and the hearts of my team because we are not very sparkly right now but I know each of them are bound for great things …. And I can’t wait to come watch them shine in all their new endeavors this Fall. I love you all BIG MUCH!
My Teal.. My Black … 🥹
On 3…..One , Two, Three Glam Fam …
The Gift of Glam is a tribute to almost 10 years of memories with my Glam Fam . It’s a beautiful closure to many years of growing and learning together .
