Today we’d like to introduce you to Teaira Barber.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Teaira. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
I grew up in the Southeast Dallas area, which is where I got my start in dance. In my younger years, I danced for Mahogany Dance company for a short period of time and did not pick dance back up until high school. I graduated from The “Great” James Madison High School, and I will always love my alma mater because this is where I actually fell in love with dance. I was a part of the Trojanette/Ebony Dolls Drill Team and finished my last to years as the lead dancer (or captain).
All through high school, I dreamed of dancing for an HBCU dance team. My senior year I took a leap of faith and auditioned for the Black Fox Dance Line of the Marching Storm Marching Band at Prairie View A & M University and long story short PVAMU and the Marching Storm became my home for the next three and a half years.
I graduated from PVAMU in the Fall semester of 2016 with my Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Work. I have always been passionate about helping others and decided social work would be a good field for me. I immediately attended graduate school and sought out to earn a Masters Degree in Social Work as well, which I obtained Fall 2017 from Texas A & M University-Commerce!
I believe that my degrees and my love for dance go hand in hand. Dance is freeing and therapeutic, which are two things many of us need. So I decided that I would start a dance class for women and create an environment where they can come be free and relieve stress. I have always been ambitious, so once I’d set my mind to starting this class, I knew it would be great.
I wanted the class to be centered around building confidence and embracing one’s self- including one’s “sexy”. As women, we have many roles and it is so easy for us to lose ourselves in all that we have going. It is very important that women are reminded that they are sexy and have the right to feel and know such. Considering all of this, I named the class “Stiletto Secrets”. It is a heels dance class where women come to fellowship with other women, laugh, and get their sexy on!
At the end of every class, we share our “secrets” in a wrap-up circle. Speaking in the circle may include telling what you liked about the class, how you felt before and after attending, and we even sometimes share ours about our weeks with one another. In our circle, we have cried together, celebrated one another, and encouraged one another. That’s the Stiletto Secret story!
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Overall I would say that starting the class and running it has been a smooth road. I have a great support system and they help out as much as they can from my former dance coach (who I love dearly!) allowing the use of the studio, my best friend who takes care of all the financial aspects and music (she is at every class working hard to help me out l.o.l), to my parents who are there for whatever I need.
Although everything runs smoothly, I would say that a challenge I face is the fluctuation in attendance. Some classes are packed and some classes are few in number. No matter how many ladies I have in class though, I run my class the same. I have had a class with only ONE person in attendance, and we danced like there was a room full of people.
I always remind myself that it is not about the numbers but about the impact of the class. There is always someone who expresses how they needed to be there and how coming helped them to feel better. I do not ever want to rob anyone of the Stiletto Secrets experience, so the class is always in session no matter how many people attend.
So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Stiletto Secrets story. Tell us more about the business.
Stiletto Secrets is a high heels dance class, though heels are not required for attendance/participation. The vibe of the class varies from week to week. Sometimes its sassy and bossy, sometimes its super sexy, and sometimes its high fun energy. The purpose of the class is to empower women in an environment that allows them to be whoever they want to be. We laugh, we fellowship and meet new people, we dance, and we share our life “secrets” with one another through venting and encouraging words. It’s a complete judge-free zone.
I am most proud of the fact that the class accomplishes its goals. Each time someone new attends the class, they express how comfortable the environment was and how free they felt. I am also proud of the growth I have seen in the ladies who come to the class regularly. Their confidence has grown and so has their heels dance skills. I love that they allow me to challenge them with my (sometimes crazy) choreography. You don’t have to be a dancer to attend or participate, and many women fear that they “won’t fit in” until they come and experience the class.
I believe the Wrap Up Circle is what sets Stiletto Secrets apart from other dance classes. I applaud every dancer who has a class and who attends a class because it requires a lot on both ends. However, I wanted my class to be one that allowed women to express themselves past the dance floor. Not many classes take time out to get to know the attendees and give them an opportunity to talk about things that may be causing them stress or things that may have brought them joy. Allowing this and showing love to one another is what makes us different.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I read a quote in a yearbook when I was in the fifth grade and I never forgot it. It read “Shallow men believe in luck. Real men believe in cause and effect”. I have carried that quote with me since then, and I do not believe in luck! I believe in hard work, passion, dedication, trial, and error, and most importantly to me, I believe in Jesus Christ. Without God I am nothing and nothing that I have achieved would have been possible.
My gift of dance, I aspiration to inspire others, my work ethics are all because of Him. By trusting and believing in God and in myself my life has been successful thus far. I say thus far because success is a journey, not a destination. Along with my journey, I have set goals small and great. BY accomplishing these goals, I define my success. I have faced many obstacles and I have failed at things. But I learn from my experiences, so that when I try again I know what to do and what not to do. God has truly been good to me and my business.
Pricing:
- Stiletto Secrets Heels Dance Class – $10.00
- Stiletto Secrets Private Party (birthday, girl’s night out, bachelorette party) – $25.00 per person
- Stiletto Secrets Wedding Choreography- $60.00 per session
Contact Info:
- Address: 2731 Warren Avenue, Dallas, Texas 75215
- Email: teethebrand@gmail.com
- Instagram: stiletto.secrets
- Facebook: stilettosecretsheelsdance
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