Today we’d like to introduce you to Keilah Glover.
Keilah, let’s start with your story. We’d love to hear how you got started and how the journey has been so far.
As a young child, my goal was to become a dance teacher, so my destiny was fulfilled when Go To Heaven Dance Company was born. The inspiration came from my daughter Heaven, and the company was named after her in 2008.
Check out our website www.gotoheavendancecompany.com.
As a Divorced, Single Mom, life has NOT been easy. I was broke, broken and I had nothing left. I lost my home, my cars, but I still had my talent and my vision. Always putting everyone’s needs before my own, and always striving to reach the light at the end of the tunnel.
After almost giving up on life, I started my dance company with negative $54, (yes I said negative) and now we have been successfully in business for 11 years, this is our third year in Hollywood, and we have now expanded to a Studio in Long Beach. God is so awesome. I give Him all the glory because it’s not by my own might.
I’m just sharing my testimony to a people out there that might be on the verge of giving up. Don’t! Let God fight your battles and give all your burdens to Him. Your best is yet to come. Be confident, do something that makes you feel good, happy, and always do your BEST!
Today Go To Heaven Dance Company has provided thousands of students with dance training from the Los Angeles Unified School District, Churches, and throughout the community.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
I have had to overcome racism of business owners calling my students “dirty” just because they were black, I have had to prove my naysayers wrong, by still succeeding in spite of their disbelief. And I have had to start from nothing to something, from South Central to Hollywood, from doubt to belief, from losing dancers to comforting dancers who lost loved ones.
We were on our way to our second show, the Evolution of Dance Part 2 and all of the dancers were involved in a three-car crash. Airbags were deployed, cars were totaled, and people were injured, but they still danced that night and had a great performance by the Grace of God.
See Evolution of Dance Part 2
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x_d_tKvNyB0
Please tell us about Go To Heaven-Dance Company.
It was honestly easy me the first year of the dance business because it was just me doing a lot of paperwork and running around. I would travel to different schools in the Los Angeles Unified School District to teach dance. Go To Heaven Dance Company started in January 2008 as an after school program for LA’s Best which is one of the largest after-school providers in the country.
GTH taught the curriculum “Evolution of Hip Hop” which was learning the dance, history, and culture of African Dance, Break Dance, Hip Hop, and Krump Dance. GTH served over 100 schools and thousands of students. It was much harder when I added employees and rented studios because I was now responsible for a large overhead. I would often work for other schools to make sure I made payroll.
So after working 12 hours a day for other people I literally got sick and started fainting, so I eventually had to leave those jobs and start working full-time for myself and put in the same time and energy for myself as I would for other people. Sometimes in life, you just need someone to say “I want to help you.” We can’t do everything by ourselves.
We co-exist, and sometimes we can truly benefit from the graces and gifts of those who want to see us prosper. GO TO HEAVEN DANCE COMPANY is about seeing a dancer through to success. We aim to add the essential tools to a dancers belt so that they are prepared for a career in the ever-changing industry that is entertainment.
The GTH Scholarship Program will take students on a journey through multiple dance genres. They will receive an amazing dance education from Creative Director, Master Educator, and Choreographer to the Stars, Ms. Keilah Glover. The purpose of this GoFundMe is to be able to provide dancers with an opportunity to train without the financial burden that sometimes prevents access to dance classes and proper training.
Please consider helping us to reach our goals as we strive to make dance an attainable lifestyle for all who seek it. www.gotoheavendancecompany.com
GTH SCHOLARSHIP
Our scholarship program is a need-based program, and our staff aims to target those students who cannot afford the summer intensive or cannot afford dance tuition because of financial hardships. The student will still be judged on talent but those who are chosen and qualify for the scholarship, costs will be reduced or waived. Scholarship funding will assist out of state lodging, tuition, dance clothes, and meals for select students.
GTH Summer Dance Intensive Program is seeking financial support for 15 students who are in financial need. Students must display talent, professionalism, athleticism, and dazzling personality… whenever they perform they shine brightly. These students display the highest potential for a professional dance career.
Go To Heaven Dance Company is geared toward dancers ages three years and up. This program is held Monday through Friday 5:00 PM – 8:00 PM. And Saturdays from 11:30AM-3: 30 PM
GTH offers aspiring professional dancers the unique opportunity to train first hand with Creative Director/Choreographer Keilah Glover and a host of his esteemed professional colleagues. This training transcends a multitude of dance disciplines, including Ballet, hip-hop, Contemporary, Modern, Commercial Jazz, African, Choreography & Auditioning techniques ….Dancers will use the leave program with professional footage for reel.
Tuition
Los Angeles $300.00
Per month
Click the link to Donate https://www.gofundme.com/m7whqnqw.
Do you look back particularly fondly on any memories from childhood?
One of the most memorable moments was one of our Showcases called Evolution of Dance Part 3: Past, Present, and Future, where we honored great artist, and my sister Amittia Smith flew out for Alabama to be a part of the show. We did a skit about a sister saving another sister’s life, and that was really a pivotal moment in our relationship.
I’m happy that dance show made that moment possible. Another great moment was our performance at the Taste of Soul, Dance All Day Event at Lula Washington Dance Theatre. There were over 200,000 people in attendance at that entire event, and we received a standing ovation and were told by the legendary Lula Washington herself that we did a great job.
One of my fondest childhood memories is dancing at the age of two for my mother’s friends and my family at her house parties, just to be able to stay up late at night. That is what sparked my love of dance.
Pricing:
- Hip Hop Classes Single Class $14
- 4 Dance Classes $40 per month
- Unlimited Monthly Classes $300
- Private Dance Lesson $350 for 4 sessions
Contact Info:
- Address: 11105 Weddington St North Hollywood, CA 91601
- Website: www.gotoheavendancecompany.com
- Phone: (323)301-3317
- Email: [email protected]
- Instagram: @go.to.heaven.dance.company
- Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/gthdance/
- Twitter: @GTHdance
Image Credit:
Go To Heaven Dance Company Performance at Bootleg Theatre
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