As the city of Louisville, Ky approaches the last week of June – the murder count has climbed to 49. In 2015, the numbers didn’t reach this magnitude until the first week in August – closing that year with 84 murders and 348 gunshot victims, which was a 28 year high.
As police and city leaders scurry to find solutions to the violence – many residents have begun stepping up by providing recreational options for young people.
Taneka Bryant – owner of F3 Dance Chambers – opened a professional dance studio at 1003 East Broadway, in Louisville, that teaches young people the art of organized dance.
Her studio specializes in teaching hip-hop dance, ballet, modern, lyrical, jazz and tap. The studio is also home to three F3 Entertainment dance teams that compete on a professional level.
Bryant is a veteran dancer with over 25 years of experience. In 2004, she established F3 Entertainment which she operated out of St. Stephen Church. She quickly assembled a team of dancers and they put in long hours of practice – perfecting a signature style that would soon captivate the world.
Bryant’s tremendous talents began to yield results almost immediately. Her dance teams were invited to compete at several major dance competitions across the nation – including BET’s 106 & Park.
“We were actually titled Louisville’s Top Dance Crew. We were on BET’s 106 & Park three times. We placed 1st, two out of those three times. We performed at the BET LIVE competition in LA and we just travel across the country and we always place in the Top 3 wherever we go.” – Taneka Bryant
Over the years, F3 Entertainment has produced several successful dance teams – which led to an internship for Bryant at a major dance studio in Atlanta.
Armed with the knowledge and experience from that internship – Bryant returned to Louisville with plans of owning her own dance studio one day.
After years of practicing at local gyms and performing across the country – Bryant was finally able to secure a location for her dance studio in November 2015.
F3 Dance Chambers offers classes teaching different styles of dance to the public as well providing dance teams (F3 Entertainment) for those who enjoy the thrill of public performances and competition.
Currently, F3 Dance Entertainment features a hip-hop dance team – a majorette team – and a 18 & over team. The teams routinely perform at most urban functions throughout the metro Louisville area, as well as selected national competitions.
F3 Entertainment received a huge surprise in March 2016, when they performed for Louisville native Bryson Tiller. The platinum selling R&B singer was in town for a concert and made plans to speak to the students at Foster Elementary School before hitting the road to continue his worldwide tour.
A parent of one of Bryant’s students and councilwoman Jessica Green, convinced school administrators to allow F3 Entertainment to perform for Tiller. Bryant says that Tiller thoroughly enjoyed the performance – making it one of the highlights of her career.
Inspired as a child by Janet Jackson – Bryant says that she knew at a young age that she was born to dance. Learning the art of dance impacted her life so dramatically that she is now dedicated to using her passion to inspire others.
“If I can give back doing something that I love to do – I’m going to do that. It keeps the kids off the streets, it’s something positive for them to do and I just love giving back.” – Taneka Bryant
In the spirit of giving back – Bryant insists that the prices for classes at F3 Dance Chambers remain affordable (as low as $10 per class), to allow all children the opportunity to learn the art of dance.
Her long-term goal is to own her own major dance company/school.
Contact Taneka Bryant by visiting the F3 Entertainment website at www.f3entky.com.
Brad Harrison is a journalist/motivational speaker/entrepreneur and on-air personality. He earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Communications with cum laude honors from the University of Louisville. In October 2015, he started UrbanMaxx Magazine to provide positive role models for Urban residents that reside in at-risk-communities and lack positive leadership in their lives.
For booking or advertising – contact Brad Harrison at bradharrison@urbanmaxx.com