Finding Your Inner Bad Bish With Serina: The Interview
By: Coral Barnes
Heels Dance is a dance style with many diverse influences, including elements from jazz, hip-hop, ballroom, Latin, go-go, and even burlesque. This dance style is a very popular commercial dance style often seen in many music videos and live performances.
The idea of this style of class is to allow dancers to focus on body control, balance, footwork, intricate movements, and graceful transitions that can often help dancers feel empowered, confident, and comfortable in their sensuality. This class can also be great for self-expression.
While some people may find this style intimidating due to the idea of dancing in high heels or low-self esteem and confidence, Serina believes that her students can grow into their inner Bad Bitch and find a new version of themselves through taking her classes at Elemental Studios on Monday and Wednesday Nights.
Let’s get to know Serina, shall we?
Serina started dancing way back in middle school ,where she trained under some choreographers in San Diego, such as some who helped choreograph for the Cheetah Girls movies. After middle school, however, she decided to focus on her academics and lost sight in dance for a while. She found her passion for dance again during her time in her college years at the University of Florida.
During her time at the University of Florida, she was able to join dance clubs and crews by auditioning. She soon became a dance coordinator for a very large dance group, the “Fillipino Student Association”. She led and choreographed for about 75+ dancers and also helped choreograph for her own dance crew, “Anomaly”. Her crew competed and won multiple state-wide shows and festivals.
After college, she took some time off from dance but knew she needed dance back in her life, especially in her adult years. So, she decided to train and go to classes again. She trained under many well-known choreographers from Orlando, Miami, and Atlanta. During her time in Florida, she was able to take multiple master classes to truly learn her craft.
Once she moved to Denver from Florida, she began industry level heels classes at Denver Dance Center and Collaboratory Complex. Bringing the knowledge that she has been able to learn from years of training and teaching, she is here to grow a community that elevates and empowers each dancer’s potential. Her purpose is to cultivate a comfortable and fun space for all genders, sizes, and shapes to enjoy dance. Her ultimate goal is to keep growing the confidence in every dancer that steps foot in her class.
Here’s our Interview!
What is your favorite thing about being a teacher and one of the owners at Elemental Studios?
Serina: “I love that I can see everyone’s dance journey grow at Elemental. I get to meet amazing individuals through dance. I get to learn about their stories and what brought them to dance.”
What is a fun fact about yourself that you would love for us to know?
Serina: “I dressed up as a Hot Cheeto for Halloween.”
How did you start your journey with heels dance?
Serina: “I started about 4 years ago. I stepped into a beginner heels class and was super intimidated by the amazing dancers there. However, I felt so empowered that I stuck with it and never stopped.”
What inspired you to start the Bad Bish Club?
Serina: “My mission was to create a community where anyone can relieve stress in a safe space. Mental health awareness is super important to me. I knew how beneficial dance was when I was hitting rock bottom. So, with Bad Bish Club, I knew that if I can create something where dancers can feel empowered and confident, then I’m making a difference in someone’s life. As dance has made a huge difference in my life.”
Are there any goals that you have for yourself this year for dance?
Serina: “lol to fix my knee so I can dance harder and train harder. Please make sure you recover and heal properly, y’all.”
What is your best advice for students who want to start taking heels dance but aren’t really sure about it?
Serina: “First step, just go. Even if you don’t know how to walk in heels, just wear sneakers and come. You might feel stupid at first but I promise you, you’re going to feel so good that you did something for yourself. You’ll feel accomplished.”
How do you define being a Bad Bish, and how do you find it in yourself?
Serina: “Being a bad bish to me means loving yourself first so that you have the capacity to love others. Loving yourself means fully trusting yourself, feeling secure in yourself, and committing to yourself. I find this by growing my confidence through dance and applying that confidence in other areas of my life, such as my career, my relationship, my friendships, and more.”
What are your favorite hobbies outside of dance?
Serina: “I love to sing and go to karaoke. I like hiking and skiing. I am a huge foodie, so I love finding new restaurants. I like cooking too, if I can find the time to do it.”
What are your favorite music artists right now?
Serina: “I’m a huge throwback girly. But I am loving Tate McRae’s new album. I like Sabrina Carpenter a lot too, and Doechii is killing it. I also love EDM, and I like headbanging to Excision.”
Who are some of your favorite dancers that inspired you to dance?
Serina: “Beyonce is my number one performer. She knows how to captivate an audience. For specific dancers, I love watching Jojo Gomez, Ari G, BeauLexx, and Emma Rose on Instagram. Love watching Kyle Hanagami choreos too.”
Thank you to Serina for taking the time to answer my questions, I truly enjoyed getting to know you and how truly beautiful the art of heels dance really means to you. Make sure to take Serina’s classes on Monday Nights for Open Level Heels at 8:30pm and Wednesday Nights for Begineer Heels at 8:30pm.
