Today we’d like to introduce you to Tadayshia Walker.
Thanks for sharing your story with us Tadayshia. So, let’s start at the beginning and we can move on from there.
Hello, I’m currently the dance CEO of a brand new studio in Downtown Barnesville, Ga. To take you back a little, I’m not a born dancer but my passion is dancing. My first love is basketball. I never thought I would be a dance and cheer instructor ever. In high school, I was a ballplayer and everyone knew that. Besides dancing with the neighborhood kids just playing around, I would play basketball… I play Rec ball in middle school. My first year of high school, I didn’t make the team. How devastating that was to me and my family and my friends who really knew that I was the ballplayer.
My passion was so real that I tried out for the cheer team just to be with the basketball team. I started enjoying being a cheerleader and learning new things so as the years went by, I cheered and played basketball. I kinda started a trend because I didn’t know anyone who did that but myself then. As the years went by, people started doing it. Fast forward as I got older, I always would listen to music and makeup dancing and sometimes, I would try to copy music videos, lol. You know you’re in love with music and dance when you’re always tapping your foot or getting in front of a camera dancing. Fast forward as I got a little bit older, I remember my mom telling me she signed me up to help her coach a Rec cheer team. I automatically told her: oh no, I’m not doing that. She was like are you for real, I told her yes, I’m dead serious. Well, I ended up going to one of her practices helping my mom out because I knew she had no idea what she was doing. My first day helping my mom, the office manager at the Rec department comes up and ask us if we would be able to manage 2 teams because the coach just walked off and she doesn’t want the team anymore. I agreed because I didn’t want to let the kids down. We started practicing and I started getting attached to the kids, and then the parents would tell me how much their kids have changed and came out of their shells. I couldn’t leave them, so I decided that I would be a permanent coach for the season.
Towards the end of the season, the Rec office manager asks me if my team would be able to go to a cheer competition. I told her yes, we would. I practiced with my team and we had our first competition and came in first place. The competition was the same day the season was over. As I was ordering my girls trophies for our banquet, I was thinking to myself, I love these girls, I can’t just let them leave and just call it quits, we built this bond that just had me thinking of these girls daily. I told my girls that I would make this a year-round thing for us. We started practicing almost every day at different locations like the community center and the school gym. For a whole year, straight free of charge. Finally, my mom told me: hey, you need to try to get a studio. I brushed her off because I didn’t have the money. I did everything free for my girls because we were having fun. I started getting more and more girls. My mom said once again hey look find a place. So, I have seen this building on FB and went to visit it the first time. First time I said no, it’s too small for me. Second time, I said ohhh no, I don’t have the money. So, I prayed about it and God just told me to go check one more time and make it work. Crawl before you walk. Third time, I signed my lease… I took the chance, I was scared of and ever since June 2019, Uptown Diva Dance studio has been up from there. I would like to thank God, my mom, and my support system. I started with 40 plus girls. Where I’m from, that’s big because I’m from a small poor town. That the jobs are limited. I love my community because they have supported me all the way.
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?
Yes, it has, because I have had so much support from family friends and the community. The only struggle I would say is getting the people to be able to afford it. And sponsorships, we need more sponsors that are willing to give to help the kids out.
We’d love to hear more about your business.
Uptown Diva Dance studio do parades, we have 2 teams currently. A mini team which ranges from age 3-7
and a junior and senior team Range from 8-16.
We do show events, parades, competition, cheer/dance classes, Majorette classes, Hip hop classes.
What set us about is our numbers, we don’t have any problem with people joining our team, it’s huge. We mentor and we help build character and confidence.
What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was spoiled and I’m the baby so I would get everything I want and I still do, lol. My personality is just like my mom, strong… I’m about my money too. I like to shop, I love to take trips and I love my daughter. I’m a very loving person and I love to look good. So, everything I’m passionate about I put my all and put the time to it.
Contact Info:
- Phone: 7705844201
- Email: walkertadatshia14@yahoo.com
- Instagram: Adore_brittish
- Facebook: Brittish S Walker
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