Today we’d like to introduce you to Heather Horton.
Hi Heather, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My desire to learn dance started budding as a girl when I watched Travis Wall enliven stories through his divine movements on So You Think You Can Dance. He inspired me, and through the vision of the Dizzy Feet Foundation (now American Dance Movement), I saw how the nation and the world could come together and meet neutrally through this shared language. In 8th grade, the boy I adored tried to show me some steps of the Waltz, and we ended up dancing to every song of the night at a school dance. That was the first time I got to feel a dance connection with another person. When I arrived at high school, a new dance team was just getting established. I made it through tryouts and balanced being on that team while also being in the marching band. Looking back, I can see that music consumed me. My dance coach, Kelly, had the creative choreography and coaching skills to take our team to compete at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Florida, where we made it to the top! My eagerness to perform kept growing.
I went to college at Tennessee Tech University, where I graduated with a B.S. in Psychology. While making friends at the beginning of my college career, I discovered a Swing Dance Club. Aside from my studies, I once again became engrossed in dance. Here I was introduced to dancing with another person and sharing a connection. The club president at the time, Nathan, taught me how to connect breathing with my dancing. I learned Social Swing, Lindy, and Blues in Cookeville and occasionally traveled to Nashville. This is also where I met my extraordinary friend, Sebastian. We ended up bonding over dance; he became my first dance partner and one of my closest friends. We practiced and spent hours being creative with the music together. I also joined a ballroom class and started learning some introductory patterns under Dr. Robyn. She always put together a little performance group, so I ended up joining that, as well. Life was a balance of schoolwork, my job, and dancing. I’m so thankful for that time, my experiences dancing, and the friendships that I have been able to continue maintaining.
After college, I tried out a few jobs, but I landed in Knoxville because I was introduced to a dance studio. This is where I met Jeremy Norris. When I told him I wanted to teach dance, he believed in me and ensured I could get all of the training I needed to get started. I competed with him pro am and studied patterns religiously. He taught me about the energy shared in dances and how to utilize it to create movements and techniques in body mechanics. He has been a constant support throughout my entire dance career. I continued my training with him as I began to teach, and he helped me navigate the instruction world. At this point, I connected my psychology degree to dance and found the best ways to help people achieve their dance goals.
I had a momentary setback when I reacted poorly to a flu vaccine. I was temporarily paralyzed and couldn’t dance for a few months. I was deeply depressed and found just what my life was without dance. I didn’t ever want to be without it again. My next quest was to learn enough dance and technique to express to the furthest degree all of the feelings and emotions I had inside of me. After all these years, that boy who inspired me with his basic Waltz steps back in 8th grade became my husband. Josh and I married in April 2020, and he still dances with me sometimes.
The current chapter of dance started with Gaberial Akers. He came to the studio I was at from West Virginia, and the first dance he asked me for was a robot tango (his creation of the moment). Over the next couple of years and then throughout covid times, we became incredibly close friends and dance partners. We started performing together and learned our visions for dance were shared. We see a community of dancers where everyone is welcome, accepted, and encouraged, where no studio or instructor is competing against each other but working together to grow the community. This is where we are now. We’ve created the name “Seeking Silence” to encompass our collaborations, where we seek the silence at the end of a performance as an audience waits for more; we seek the silence of all the things that divide us outside of our love of dancing and connecting, and where we seek the silence of any self-doubt that would hold our students, us, or anyone else in the community behind. Our goals now are to provide amazing dance events while collaborating with different studios and instructors that we can eventually direct toward charities. Aside from that, we’ve been moving into the world of Bachata, where we want to work our way into becoming seen in the greater community. The entire journey has involved following my heart through all doubts and obstacles. I keep the image of where I want to be and take each step forward in that direction.
Alright, let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what challenges have you had to overcome?
There have been two primary struggles throughout my career. The first was my flu shot reaction. The temporary physical implications were difficult, but the mental effects have lasted. The depression I had took over, and my brain chemistry never really balanced the way it previously had. I have had to seek mental health care since then to figure out the best means of functioning after my neurological reaction.
The other difficulty is shared with so many other people with Covid-19. There was no dancing together while we stayed at least 6 ft apart. I had to find other work to do in the meantime. My studio was forced to close, and all the instructors split up. Jeremy, Gaberial, me, and West Coast Swing champion PJ Turner all grouped at a new, much smaller studio. Working our way out of the Covid hole has been a climb.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a ballroom dance instructor and performer. My goal is to inspire people, and I can do that through the choreography and dance my dance partner, and I create. I am most proud of the event we just put together. We hosted a wholly sold-out Love of Dance Valentine’s Showcase event! So many dancers could perform, and we were able to bring the community together. My collaboration with other dancers and my vision for the community sets my business apart.
We love surprises, fun facts, and incredible stories. Can you share something that might surprise us?
As outgoing as I am, I ride the line between extroversion and introversion. I love my dance community and going out and meeting new people, but I can be quite a homebody. I like working on home remodeling projects (like finishing my basement) and creating a homestead with fruit trees and a big garden. I also love spending time with my husband, who occasionally does stand-up comedy and is often practicing guitar. Additionally, we like reading many of the same books and discussing them together. It’s like living in two different worlds for me.
Pricing:
- $40 – Intro Lesson
- $80 – 1 Lesson (up to 2 people)
- $380 – 5 Lessons (5% discount)
- $720 – 10 Lessons (10% discount)
- $1360 – 20 Lessons (15% discount)
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.heatherhortonnorthstardancetn.com/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NorthStarDance.w.Heather?mibextid=ZbWKwL
Image Credits
Trung Phan
