The owners of the Detroit Dance Center, a Black-owned, woman-owned dance studio, Jasmine Woods, (holding scissors), Linda Hendricks, center, and Dominique Hamlett, right, stand with Mayor Mike Duggan during their grand opening.
We do more than twerk – but nothing’s wrong with that either.
The art of dancing in the Black American culture permeates throughout every area of life for melanated individuals, just like other cultures. Wedding? We dance. Funeral? We dance, respectfully. From cookouts to college, where there’s a beat there is one of us bound to be dancing.
Where did African American dance originate? Its origins can be, naturally, traced through Africa into the Americas during the Transatlantic Slave Trade beginning in the 1500s.
“In the west these dance styles of hundreds of Black ethnic groups merged with white dances, forming the extension of the African aesthetic in the Americas,” according to aaregistry.org.
Generations later, especially regionally, predominately Black cities like Detroit, Chicago and elsewhere created subcultures within their communities and grew large followings all based on the simple fact that popular dances have become an institutional and integral part of these cities, which begs the question: Who has the best music and dance moves? Ahem, Detroit of course, sorry Chi-town.
All jokes aside, one doesn’t have to wonder too far to discover what moves resonate in Detroit. Known for more than that classic Motown sound, Detroit has a knack for music, arts, culture and dancing that mixes raw grit and beauty with moves people of all ages can enjoy.
From the Detroit Jit and Funk (popular local dances) to embracing the beyond-fly moves from the famous Detroit Dance show “The Scene” in the 1970s and 1980s – Detroit’s not a stranger to the rhythm and beat of soul-infused dances that bring back memories of yesteryear and pave the way for tomorrow’s latest dance craze or classics that keep coming back.
“No one could come up in Detroit and grow up in Detroit and not ask about or know about Jit,” said Mike Manson in a Metro Times article.
Manson, the founder of House of Jit, describes the dance as an experience that crosses generations.
“It’s part of our culture, it’s part of our DNA — all our cousins or all our uncles, everyone tried to do it or did it.”
With Detroit’s rich dance legacy, the newest to come on Detroit’s dance scene is none other than The Detroit Dance Center, 831 Selden St.
The Black-owned, woman-owned dance studio specializes in dance classes for youth (from age 2 to teenage years, along with adult classes).
Through Motor City Match, the owners, Linda Hendricks, Dominique Hamlett and Jasmine Woods, made their dream of opening their own state-of-the-art dance facility for the underserved communities in Detroit a reality recently.
“What Motor City Match helped us do was take that little hope — that little dream that door is gonna be open — and make it possible,” Hamlett said in an online post.
Detroit Dance Center celebrated the grand opening of its new brick-and-mortar building in late July.
The studio is Detroit Dance Center’s new permanent home after years of operating in shared and temporary spaces, according to a press release.
The studio offers individual classes or a full-year program. The center also sells a full selection of leotards, tights, ballet shoes—including brown ballet shoes designed to match with darker skin tones – and DDC branded apparel.
“The bulk of our students are under the age of 7 with the hope that they will grow with us. We hope to keep them long-term and hope that they enjoy it,” said, Hendricks.
Hendricks connects her business idea to cherishing treasured memories as a past dance student.
“Detroit Dance Center started as Detroit Dance Studio in 2009. I was laid off from my job in New York during the recession where I was an auditor while simultaneously taking dance classes. I felt nostalgic towards my years as a student and wanted to start a studio to fill the void. This went on until I got married and had a child in 2013,” said Hendricks.
She said that Woods and Hamlett taught at Detroit Windsor Dance Academy.
“Once the pandemic happened, the studio stopped teaching classes due to the stay-at-home order. The idea sparked as a playful banter until it was developed into a serious notion,” she said. “The Detroit Dance Center was rebirthed in 2020 and officially began in 2021. We had over 80 students at the start and ended with over 125.”
The Detroit Economic Growth Corporation and Mayor Mike Duggan announced that the Motor City Match Round 18 Cash Track awardee received a $35,000 cash grant to help open the studio.
“I’m so glad that Motor City Match was able to help Linda, Jasmine and Dominique realize their dream of creating this studio to give children in our city the opportunity to learn the art of dance right here in Detroit,” said Mayor Duggan in a press release. “This neighborhood is rapidly growing and the Detroit Dance Center will be a great addition to the area and an important part of its growth.”
“Motor City Match connects business owners to a growing network of support, offers critical business services and maps out the path from idea to open. We are elated to continue supporting Detroit’s small business community as it thrives,” said Drew Lucco, Motor City Match program director.
Motor City Match awarded $9.1 million in cash grants; 82 percent of overall winners are minority-owned businesses and 71 percent are women-owned; 137 new brick-and-mortar businesses are open and operating.
For more information visit detroitdancecenter.com/.
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