The idea of Dance Now Cry Later was derived from the creative and emotional lifestyles of an artist. Artists have the capabilities to transform their emotions into an artistic expression to share their story with the world. 

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Our Founder, Tarayjah Hoey-Gordon, was born and raised in the small town of Shelby, NC. Growing up she always loved to dance and sing with her family. In middle school she was bullied because of her weight and used dance as a coping mechanism to make it through hard times. In High school her confidence boosted through performance opportunities and recognitions in the arts department. As a result, she started working at summer camps and teaching dance whenever she could. 

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Knowing that her personal resources were limited she made it her mission to Dance Now and Cry Later through any issue. As life progressed she joined a street dance crew in Shelby, NC (A.R.T/ 4th UNIT) and embraced her power as a movement artist. When transitioning to college her main focus was Theatre and Band. It is no surprise that she ended up graduating from The University of North Carolina at Greensboro in Dance Education K-12 Licensure with a Minor in Theatre in 2016 and holds a Masters in Dance Education from The University of Northern Colorado. While pushing through every obstacle that came about she managed to mentor thousands of students through volunteer opportunities, becoming  the National President of Delta Chi Xi Honorary Dance Fraternity Inc. (The only Professional Dance Fraternity), and create a DNCL collective of artists that give back to the community whenever they can. 

 

Not having previous experience in a professional setting can make it challenging for talented artists to enter the professional world. Young artists that encounter financial struggles do not have the opportunity to gain access to studios.

 

Dance Now Cry Later will positively impact the lives of at-risk youth in poverty stricken areas through the exposure of the Arts. The reason that we are targeted towards those who struggle financially is because we want to make sure that those who have the passion and the skills to succeed can have an equal foundation to those who are financially capable.