Our Story
Bryant first took a serious interest in ballroom dancing in the winter of 2001 after a friend of his invited him into a guest party, which he nearly missed for lack of directions. After realizing that this was something he could excel in with a little time and effort, he took every opportunity to learn as a student for about six months.
Unfortunately though, seminary students are not the best candidates for such an expensive hobby, and he soon realized that he didn't have the money to continue to learn as quickly and as thoroughly as he might like. But then it occurred to him, why not try out as an instructor? As an instructor, his employer would have a vested interest in training him to look good. Considering that he was presently unemployed, the idea seemed to be a winner.
After calling around, he found a few potential openings available. One in particular though seemed unique. He had called the owner originally and was told that he was not needed, but after further thought, the owner looked back through his caller IDs, not even remembering Bryant's name, and invited him to come in. Thus Bryant unknowingly began his two year tenure at what is presently the oldest dance studio in the city of Louisville, training with the same man responsible for training some of Louisville's finest studio owners and instructors.
Near the end of his time at Blankenship Dance Company, Bryant met studio owner Cherie Lanier with whom he continued his training for several months. Her enthusiasm and passion for teaching dance put a new spin on Bryant's dancing (pun intended!) and opened a whole new and creative world of possibilities for him, inspiring him to devise many of his own steps and combinations from the foundations he built at Blankenship.
These two powerful influences in Bryant's dance life have enabled him to teach as head instructor of I've Got Rhythm after only five years of dancing. Now some might wonder how five years could possibly be adequate to prepare someone to take the lead of a studio, but if God can defeat giants through a young man with a sling and a stone, perhaps he can raise up a would-be Southern Baptist minister to run a ballroom dance studio. And whatever God intentions shall come to pass.