Hayley Holt opened Studio H Dance Company in Ardmore in May 2016.  In July 2019 Hayley moved the Studio from Ardmore Avenue to 30072 E Railroad Street.  Studio H Dance Company offers a complete dance and creative expression program for ages 2 and up.  They offer dance instruction in Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Baton, Contemporary, Technique training, Tumbling, Creative Movement, and Tiny Ballerinas.

In addition to herself, Hayley has seven employees: Bethany Johnston, Lead Teacher; Kayla Terry, Office Manager; Jessica Jackson, Office Assistant; and Teachers – Kelsey Nixon, Rori Johnson, Kayla Anderson, and Heather Thompson.

Being a business owner is not easy but her love for dance and sharing it with others keeps her going during the stressful times.  Her family has been impacted by her business because it requires long hours and she is away from them, but it has also helped provide her family with more financial freedom. 

When I ask Hayley what she wants Studio H Dance Company to be known for she said that they strive to provide a fun and safe environment for children of various ages, genders, and backgrounds to express themselves through dance.

Hayley is from Madison and currently resides in Athens.  She is married to Brandon Holt and they have two sons. She started dance at the age of 2 and continued dance for 15 years at dance studios. She was a member of the Bob Jones High School Dance Team and the Universal Dance Association All Star Team. She also had the opportunity to train under popular dance icons Paula Abdul and Chris Judd, and many others.  She performed in many recitals and competed in various dance competitions where she received numerous awards.  I believe her background and experience explains why her students are so successful and why Studio H Dance Company is also the home of award-winning competition dancers.

I spoke to one of Hayley’s Studio H Dance students, Miss Karley Moore.  Karley is 9 years old and has been a student at Studio H since she was 3 years old.  When I asked Karley what she enjoyed about dance, she replied, “It is fun.  I am with my friends and I make new friends.  I learn a lot of things about dance and I get to go to new places.”  She also explained to me about the different types of competitions and when I asked her about different types of extracurricular activities, there was no hesitation from the 9-year-old; she would pick dance over any other activity.

Studio H Dance is also great about supporting community events in Ardmore.  In my short time as Director of the Chamber, Hayley and her dancers have helped with the Crape Myrtle Festival, Trunk or Treat Fall Festival, and they have signed up for the Tinsel Trail.  They are a local business that gives back to the community and her students are not only learning dance they are learning about friendships, hard work and what community service is all about.  If you are interested in learning more about dance, I encourage you to check out Ardmore’s Studio H Dance Company.

This story was written by Yolandia Eubanks – Director of the Greater Ardmore Chamber of Commerce. She can be contacted at (256) 423-6177 or yeubanks@greaterardmorechamber.com.