Amy Houston was always on a dance floor somewhere as a young girl. And as she got older, she performed beautifully in such shows as The Nutcracker, Guys and Dolls, South Pacific, and The Music Man. She even got her degree in Theatre and Dance – so, clearly, dance was her life.
But ask Houston about those wonderful memories and accomplishments, and she’ll quickly tell you that her passion for performing was only part of what would become her lifelong dream and larger purpose.
“I was inspired by dance and my own instructors, so I always had my sights set on owning a dance studio,” Houston said. “Even at 10 years old, I remember drawing studio floor plans on napkins when I went out to restaurants with my family. That’s where my dream started — when I was 10.”
To say Houston achieved that dream would be an understatement. Today, she is the founder and proud owner of Turning Pointe Dance Studio, a wildly-popular staple of the Flower Mound community for the past 17 years. The name represents the turning point dance had on Houston’s life. And backed by an amazing team of teachers and staff — a handful of whom are former students from Houston’s dance company — it has evolved into a growing Christian family of joyful, excited students and dedicated educators with a gift for bringing out the best in every child.
“Honestly, I never could have achieved this dream if it weren’t for the people around me,” Houston said. She and her husband, David, have been married for eight years and have three children. Her biggest fan is her 91-year-old grandmother, Mama Dee. Her mother, Shere, a successful entrepreneur herself, is on the staff at Turning Pointe. “I have a huge support system, and our teachers love what they are doing. The best part is when the teachers join our staff, they stay for years. They have a passion for dance and these kids, and their creativity and artistry take our routines to a whole new level.”
She added, “It has become something I could never have dreamed of back when I was 10 years old.”
Turning Pointe first opened its doors in 2005. At that time, the studio was located in Bartonville Town Center, which felt like being in the middle of nowhere since Lantana was a far cry from the vibrant community it is today. But the studio continued to bring in new dancers and eventually expanded to a second dance floor two years later.
Houston then leased her current space in Flower Mound in 2011. She added a third dance floor at a separate location five years later. In 2021, she bought a building at 2801 Morriss Road that she hopes will be completed this June.
The new facility is approximately 5,600 square feet and offers a bonus outdoor area for visitors and students.
“We are excited about our forever home,” Houston said.
Thanks to all of that continued growth and a full complement of instructors, directors, and choreographers, Turning Pointe has always offered a wide selection of classes and class times for participants as young as 3 years old to adults. This includes ballet, hip hop, contemporary, tap, jazz, and drill team prep. Their award-winning dancers have had the honor of performing all over the country, including at the New Amsterdam Theatre on Broadway, Walt Disney World Resort, Disneyland, SeaWorld, Nationals Dance Competitions, and several halftime entertainment shows locally.
They have nine Dance Company teams that are grouped by age and skill level.
But not everyone starts at that level. If you’re a mother who wants to bring your 18-month-old to 3-year-old in for Mommy & Me classes, Turning Pointe is the right place for you. If your child is just starting out and has aspirations of competing professionally, they can do that, too. Just want to dance for fun? Turning Pointe has just the right class.
“We have some kids who only want to dance once a week and others who want to train all the time and compete,” Houston said. “We offer something for everyone, regardless of where they are in their dance journey.”
But if you ask anyone who has taught at Turning Pointe or had a child attend a program, they’ll tell you this is more than just a dance studio. Houston created it because of the instructors who inspired her, and the proverbial turning point dance became in her life. She wanted nothing more than to share that love for dance with as many children as possible.
Her staff is equally focused on building dancers from the inside out, focusing on love, kindness, communication, making memories, building friendships, and promoting strong character.
“Turning Pointe does a wonderful job of building confidence and character in the performing arts. They really care about the kids and do everything possible to safeguard their well-being,” parent Evan Sanchez said on the studio’s website. “My daughter has danced here for six years.”
Houston agreed, adding that the proof is in the pudding.
“We recently went to a competition and came away with the Professionalism Award because of how kind, respectful, and positive our students were,” Houston said. “That was the best thing that could have come from that event because it tells me that we teach the right things. While technique is important, at the end of the day, how well they pointed their toes on stage doesn’t matter as much as their character. We know we are doing the right thing with these kids by giving them a place to go where they feel like they belong. That’s what makes our studio so special.”
And as for all those napkin drawings from her younger years? They turned out to be pretty good inspiration after all.
“I remember being at my childhood studio as a young girl, and there was this tiny window that all the parents could look through to see their children dance,” Houston said with a laugh. “They’d all crowd around each other, and I remember thinking, ‘I want an entire hallway of windows.’ So I got the viewing windows I always wanted — and so much more.”
To learn more about Turning Pointe Dance Studio, visit TurningPointeTX.com.
(Sponsored content)
