Today we’d like to introduce you to Jennifer Gonzales.
Hi Jennifer, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m Jennifer, nicknamed Bout’ It was born and raised in Fort Worth, Tx, and am now Dallas-based. I started my dance journey as a little girl, and growing up; we didn’t have money for dance studios. Heck, I didn’t even know they existed, lol, so I was self-taught and learned to dance by watching music videos with my twin brother. I always had a natural rhythm and was a quick learner. Around the age of six, a teenage girl at The Boys & Girls Club taught me how to do the “Tootsie Roll” lol that was my first dance lesson outside the building on the sidewalk. I will never forget that. (I wish I knew her name, thanks, girly). My idols are Selena, Aaliyah, Micheal Jackson, Janet Jackson, Missy Elliot, and more. Music is my biggest inspiration. While being raised with Tejano & Cumbia music deeply rooted in us, I love listening to and dancing to all kinds of music.
My first choreography was at age nine at my elementary school with four other girls, where we did a Destiny Child song. The rest was Herstory because I choreographed and performed in multiple talent shows in middle school, then I joined the drill team and step team in high school. I was part of a dance crew where every weekend, we went to Quinceneras with my friends & family and danced our butts off while battling other dancers. Later in high school, I formed an all-ladies crew called “Lunachicks.” We performed Latin & Hip Hop Genres and performed at “Blowouts.” Aww, those were the days! Awesome times. And then, in 2006, the most amazing thing happened. I went to my first Jam and was introduced to the culture of Hip Hop, and woo! I fell in love with Breakin’, like something just spark within’ me, and I knew that this would be a part of my life, and ever since then, I’ve been Bgirlin.’ In 2007, a few other dancers in the scene and I created a Bgirl crew called “Femme Fatale” it was awesome to have an all-bgirl crew. We battled together and were a crew for ten years. A few of us still rep the crew. Time pass and life have changed for most of us. I have to mention where I got my nickname “Bout’ It” I was named by the legendary Bgirl Honey Rockwell from Bronx, New York. Also, shout to my crew, “Rock Solid.”
I’ve judged, curated, performed, taught, and competed at multiple community events and am planning the next “Ladies With Flava” Vol. 4 Jam on September 17th, 2022 (Currently looking for sponsors). The event will be at the Mesquite Arts Center if you’d like to support the movement (@ladieswithflava). I want to stay connected and build with the community and continue to grow. I practiced with and learned from many amazing dancers throughout the years. I’ve traveled and competed and enjoyed every moment of it. Honestly, there’s nothing like the culture of Hip Hop. It’s so raw when we come together and inspirational. It’s truly a lifestyle, and we’re like a big extended family.
Let’s talk about being a Latina. You know your girl loves to dance some Cumbia and Tejano, but the social scene, pssh so so dope’; it’s so much fun and diverse, especially the scene here in Dallas. It’s amazing! We have a pretty big scene in the metroplex. If you haven’t been to a social, I recommend joining me one day. I’ve been going to socials and congresses for over a decade now, and as much as I love breakin’ or freestyle dancing, there’s nothing like dancing with another person and connecting with others. Haha, I love experiencing the energy exchange and tapping into the music with another person. The Salsa & Bachata scene I fell in love with and the dance styles. It would be so dope to see both the Hip Hop and Latin Social scenes together more. I’d like to collab both scenes together. One thing is for sure I am always a student, and I am excited to continue to experience and grow more.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle-free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Smooth road? Haha, wouldn’t that be nice? It’s been a curvy, bumpy, and up and down ride, definitely not a smooth road, and challenging. After Highschool, I worked as a hairstylist for a long time, spent hours on my feet, then would go practice for 4-5 hours after work. I had no guidance in my dance career, I always dreamed of being a backup dancer and traveling, but I held myself back and stuck with doing hair because I didn’t know how to dance full time or create those opportunities. So, Hip Hop culture was my outlet and way of expressing myself. I struggled with abusive/toxic relationships that put me in a deep depression.
Today, I still deal with those struggles and traumas. It’s the truth, but now I am stronger than ever. I don’t want to share too many details, but I have been through a lot, and I feel at this point in my life, all I want to do is keep inspiring women who have similar experiences. As far as my career goes, cutting hair for 13 years, clocking in and out just to make ends meet, and paying bills with a struggle mentality, I wasn’t thrilled. I built a skill that I will forever have, but I was burnt out. I am happy with the connections and friendships I made with my clients & co-workers. However, it wasn’t my dream. I was just doing what we all are told to do, work and pay bills feeling trapped. With that said, it never stopped me from getting better at my passion.
2019 was the most challenging year because I lost my job at a corporate barbershop the same week I moved into my townhouse, and boy, did I struggle! There was a sense of relief when it happened cause I felt like the universe pushed me to pursue my passion. It was so hard, yet I made it through the struggles, and since then, I’ve been working for myself, following my passion. Now I work for The City of Dallas, where you can request me to do a teaching service in Dallas at no cost to you. I worked in elementary schools with a non-profit teaching SEL (Social Emotional Learning). I’m now booking shows, choreographing, and teaching for summer camps. I’m running my business hosting pop-up dance classes, and you can also book me to instruct or perform at commercial or private events.
As a freelance dance artist/entrepreneur, I still have a lot to learn. It’s been a tough transition, but I am happy and proud as I don’t give myself enough credit. I am grateful I’ve made it this far and am doing what I love. You just have to keep pushing, even if it means doing some side hustles to keep you afloat. Know that you can make it happen. I encourage if you are thinking about pursuing your passion, the time is NOW to make it happen. Otherwise, you will always wonder, “What if.” For me, I know the best has yet to come. So, I’m here to tell you no, it wasn’t always easy. People only see what I show them on social media and do not know all the hardships I’ve endured and had to face. No matter what, I still show up even when I feel numb. You have to tell yourself to get up every day and keep pushing.
I’m excited for the opportunities that I am attracting to me more than ever now; trust me, I’m still picking up all the broken pieces from my past and am continuing to do my shadow work for my healing, mentally, spiritually, and emotionally and physically. I feel way better and more optimistic about the present time and my future. Healing, to me, is an ongoing process. My struggles are real, and all the lessons were meant for a higher purpose. It all made me who I am today, and I intend to impact others who resonate with me positively. I love to inspire others. I salute you all, though, it’s not always easy, but it’s much more satisfying to do what you love! So go get it.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m focused on creating content for my social media platforms, choreographing, performing, teaching, and building my brand “Ladies With Flava.” I have a new dance partner, so be on the lookout for us! If you’re interested in attending my classes, please subscribe to my email list on my website www.sheboutit.com and give me a follow on social media. You can also book me on my website for your event. I can’t wait to share my talent with you all. I’m a conscious spiritual being, and I love connecting with like-minded beings and raising the frequency and vibrations on this planet. And that’s a part of my focus to continue my spiritual practice and promote self-love through my creativity.
How do you define success?
I feel like success is out of reach. Like we all are constantly striving to succeed in something. However, success is enjoying the journey and understanding that it’s not a straight line up the chart. It has its ups and down, zigzags, and scribble lines across the board. It’s not always getting to the finish line. Being present and not thinking about the past or future instead of success is tuning in to your inner being and feeling good about your life, and knowing you are where you’re meant to be. Accepting that everything has stemmed from past thoughts and subconscious programming, success is overcoming your deepest fears.
We as human beings are constantly worried about the future and thinking about the events that happened in the past, but hardly do we ever just enjoy the moment. When things are out of alignment, how can we be happy? I believe that we create our reality, and it’s essential to be mindful of our thought patterns. We tend to hold ourselves back, and we are usually our worse critics. Being aware of how I am feeling and learning to transmute negative emotions into positive ones is the first step to success. Past thoughts created my current reality. Therefore, my goal is to be in a mind state of least resistance to all that I desire so that I’ll attract and be a vibrational match to that frequency. That, to me, is a success. When we feel that liberating feeling, we must hold on to it and watch all of our dreams, wishes, and desires unfold. Trust that the Divine Source Energy, Universe, God, or Guardian Angels, Higher-Self has your back.
Contact Info:
- Email: contact@sheboutit.com
- Website: www.sheboutit.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/yoboutit/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/yoboutit
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/c/BgirlBoutIt
Image Credits
Felicia Garcia
