Every dancer has a story; how they found the ballroom, what kept them coming back, and the moments that changed everything. This month, we’re thrilled to spotlight a dancer whose journey began during a major life transition and has carried her all the way to international success.
Kendra’s dance story starts in March of 2015, during a time of significant change. After realizing that a music education degree wasn’t the right path, she withdrew from school, moved back home to Kansas City, and enrolled in community college to finish the remaining credits she needed for a business degree. Her classes ended before noon, leaving her with long afternoons and a daily drive past a mysterious building that captured her curiosity. One day she finally decided to stop. Inside, she found a nearly empty ballroom studio, a few tables, and a friendly woman offering the classic New Student Special: three private lessons, a group class, and a party. She said “sure, why not?”. The rest is history. Through moves, injuries, career shifts, and even a pandemic, dance remained the constant she continued to seek out.
Just three months after stepping into a studio for the first time, she competed at the Heart of America Dancesport Championships and had an incredible time. For her, not competing was never really an option. A natural born competitor who has always loved winning, the excitement of performance quickly became part of her identity as a dancer.
In the beginning, she spent several months focusing on Smooth before switching entirely to Standard, and didn’t return to Smooth until 2023. She admits she initially felt awkward with the arm styling, joking that her pros “would have had better dancing from a baby giraffe on ice skates.” Now, though, she loves both styles. Standard Waltz remains her favorite. Elegant and expressive, it’s the perfect introduction to the audience. Close behind is Smooth Foxtrot, a dance she describes as joyful and theatrical, full of opportunities to play with both her partner and the crowd.
hen she talks about Aria Ballroom, she does so with genuine warmth. She loves the supportive environment, the sense of family, and the way the community always shows up for one another. From advice on rhinestoning a dress, learning about hair or tanning, or simply needing a new explanation for a tricky concept, someone at Aria is always ready to help. Her favorite part? Her partnership with Lukas! She doesn’t even refer to him as her “pro”; to her, he’s her partner, always willing to experiment, clarify, and become who she needs on any given day.
Her goals stretch far into the future, with dreams of collecting major wins at events like Embassy, USDC, and Emerald. Her short-term goals support that long-term vision: refining technique, winning at smaller competitions, making finals at bigger ones, and maintaining consistency. She loves competing, and she embraces the hard work that comes with pursuing excellence.
Of everything she’s accomplished so far, her proudest moment is undoubtedly Blackpool 2024. She returned home with significant wins, placed just two marks short of the Open Standard final, and brought home first and second in Open Smooth. Leaving the Blackpool Dance Festival as a top 100 global competitor felt surreal. A close second was finishing in the top 15 in the U.S. in 2023.
At the heart of it all, dancing is freeing for her. It’s beautiful, challenging, and wonderfully fleeting—no two performances can ever be exactly the same. The variables of the day (what if the judge isn’t looking?!), the energy, the adrenaline, all shape the result. And for her, that unpredictability is exactly what makes it fun, inspiring, and endlessly worth chasing.
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