Dance FX Studios’ NEW, exclusive jewelry line is finally here!  We are so excited to bring you these beautiful and unique necklaces and bracelets from our new brand, iLeaduFollow™.

Those who have previewed our necklaces and bracelets often ask what the sayings on our pieces mean. I love to share how special they are to me, and the meaning behind Lead With Love™ and Follow With Faith™. (iLeaduFollow™ speaks for itself. Right, fellow ballroom dancers?)

Lead With Love™ is a saying that I came up with many years ago as a way to live my life. I wanted to give myself a positive message on how to move through life and show my love and support for those I meet and know.

Over time, it became such an important quote to me that I tattooed it on my arm as a daily reminder. I look at my tattoo throughout the day and it provides great peace, especially when times get tough. I know that if I simply lead my life with an open, loving heart, everything will be OK. So far, so good!

The tricky part was that my Lead With Love™ tattoo was the only tattoo I had that was exposed for others to see. This was quite a risk as a 40-something year old local business owner here in Mesa, Arizona. I thought about hiding it, but I wanted to share my mindset with the world. I had a few double takes at first from long-time dance students and new students who didn’t know what to make of it. Even in this generation, I was concerned as to how I would be viewed, but after a brief explanation of it’s meaning, everyone really seemed to like it! Most importantly, I did (and do).

After I got my tattoo, my husband pointed out something that I had never thought of. He said, “It feels like you’re telling me to lead you with love and care around the dance floor. Is that what you intended?” If you don’t already know it, my husband, Adam, and I are professional Ballroom dancers, so this did make sense.  Ironic, isn’t it, I thought.  It wasn’t my intention, but it’s pretty cool that a double-meaning like that was behind my message, and I didn’t even realize it. I have been in the ballroom dance business for over 20 years, and I didn’t make the connection, until Adam pointed it out. Crazy, right?

A few months later, Adam came to me with a thought. “What if I tattoo “Follow With Faith” on my arm, as a response to how to be a follow who trusts me to lead you well on the dance floor? Genius! I loved it! He now has Follow With Faith tattooed on his arm in the same spot. When we dance together, our arms line up (his left and my right) to remind each other of our roles on the dance floor, and how to treat each other as we are dancing.

Since then, Dance FX Studios has celebrated it’s 15 year anniversary in business in June of this year. We are so proud to provide adult dance lessons to the community. This is a hobby for singles and couples that lifts one’s spirits, helps them become more confident and keeps them healthy and fit. What a gift to be able to make a living doing what we love!

In recent months, we have completely re-modeled our dance studio to keep up with the times. We are going for a modern industrial lounge feel, rather than strictly a learning environment. Think oversized cozy couches, cool light fixtures that you may find in a trendy bar and lot’s on tv’s to watch your favorite dance shows and movies on. With the upgrade close to complete, I can say it’s going to be fantastic when we’re done. Pictures will coming soon on the website. We are way too excited!!

With this, we are launching our retail brand (TODAY!) iLeaduFollow™. It’s extremely exciting to be able to put our life’s philosophy on our new items, and that they will be featured both in our studio and online. What a thrill!

As the holiday season kicks off, we will be featuring Lead With Love™ and Follow With Faith™ t-shirts, key chains, jewelry, and tote bags. Plus, our iLeaduFollow™ aluminum, re-useable water bottles are the coolest thing ever!

If you’re a ballroom dancer who can relate, come shop our Online store to see what we’re all about. And, if you’re not a dancer (yet), but you love the idea of leading your life with love, and following with faith, you too can find some really fun gifts for yourself and those you love.

Visit our website to take advantage of our Holiday Savings Event on both retail items and dance lessons. Or drop into our Mesa, Arizona ballroom dance studio to get the first peek at our exclusive iLeaduFollow™ retail line. You’ll be impressed with what we’ve got!

Today is Thanksgiving, and I could not be more grateful. Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Holidays! Thank you to so many for your years of support, and to allow us to share our love of dance every day with you.