Influential Woman · Classical ballet company

Kourtney Lampkin

Owner and Instructor, --

Arlington, TX

1Award received

Certifications · Degrees · Memberships

Degree Southern University Degree Baton Rouge Degree Louisiana - Major in Microbiology Degree Minor in Fine Arts Member Alpha Kappa Alpha

Her Story

About Kourtney

I started dancing when I was young and got my first job at age 16 at the studio where I was dancing. After that, I really started taking my passion seriously and began dancing for the Baton Rouge Ballet company while attending college. I did a dance camp with Miss Debbie Allen, and from there, that was pretty much my mentorship - she took me under her wing and started really pouring into me. That's when I actually started to look at my passion as more of something to really take seriously and put my all into. I opened up my own dance studio at the Mansfield Rec Center, starting with Techniques of Ballet during the summers when I was home from college. I started with maybe four little girls there, and it just kind of took off from there. I was the first young Black American to ever have her own ballet company in the city of Mansfield. After I graduated from college, I met my husband and we had our daughter. I was still dancing and instructing, but I took a step back to raise her and try to figure out mom life, especially because by then my parents had passed away. When my daughter turned 6, she saw my pictures and told me she was ready to start dancing, and I was like, girlfriend, I have been waiting! In 2020, I revamped everything, started a new website, and that's how Royalty Ballet came about. We're now at the theater of Arlington, downtown Arlington, Texas, which is exciting because as a dancer and performer, you can have a studio, but it's really hard to find a venue that has a stage. We've been there and thriving ever since. My most notable professional achievement is revamping Royalty Ballet Company, because now that I'm older, I have more opportunities to showcase my dance studio to the community. We have performances every year, free performances where the community can come out and enjoy us, and we have free dance classes. I actually get to see it coming to fruition and enjoy it while I'm in the moment. Now that I'm older, I get to sit back and see it in a different light - I worked this hard then so that now I can actually enjoy it.

Quick Facts

IndustryClassical ballet company
Based inArlington, TX
Specialty Classical ballet, Ballet instruction, Youth dance education
- Community dance programs
Volunteers with Free community dance performances
- Free dance classes for the community
- Annual scholarship program providing year-long dance classes to students who cannot afford tuition
- Partnership with Alpha Kappa Alpha to sponsor female youth athlete with scholarship and mentorship

Her Interview

Ten minutes with Kourtney

01What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?

I believe that when one door closes, another door opens, and that leads to another stepping stone into the purpose of what you're really supposed to be doing. I welcome all opportunities, but I also have discernment. I still like to be a student of the art and take ballet classes from local studios around, because you should forever be a student of the arts. Outside of work, I spend time with my daughter and sometimes do nothing on purpose, which I didn't think was necessary beforehand, but oh my gosh, it's so necessary. I like to enjoy life, sit out on the front porch and enjoy the breeze, meditate, journal, and just sit and think on life for myself. It gives me such gratitude to be able to give students the opportunity to perform and build their confidence, and to see it coming to fruition.

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