Jesica Barker wants her dancers to excel as people.
Teaching patience and endurance is also a part of Barker’s coaching. “I want to help people understand that you can evolve through dance and be a better person,” said Barker. “In this age of instant gratification, I think it’s such an important lesson to teach young people that to put forth effort with something they don’t love at first or maybe something they’re not good at or doesn’t come easy, will happen if they persevere. I’ve seen it in my own life and in the hundreds of dancers I’ve taught.”
Dancing since she was 3 years old, Barker, who was raised in Chandler, teaches ballet, jazz, tumbling, tap, lyrical, ballroom and hip-hop. She opened DE with the intention of bringing change to Flagstaff.
“Phoenix is kind of a dance capital. There are great studios and a lot of conventions and competitions are sponsored there. It’s super competitive, so I wanted to bring a newer, fresher aspect of dancing here,” she said.
Although Barker is not fond of being the center of attention, she did compete around the country in several dance competitions and won awards. Her favorite dance is ballet.
Barker and her husband, Chief Deputy County Attorney Ammon Barker, moved to Flagstaff in 2010. She began teaching in her friend’s basement before the couple purchased their home with a detached two-car garage for her studio. When neighbors complained about the cars, she purchased a studio in East Flagstaff in 2018. “As our competitive dance group expanded, we ran out of room and purchased another building next door.”
Fifteen-year-old twins Lauren and Anna Jensen have been attending DE for 12 years. “Jesica has helped make me who I am today, ‘’ said Lauren. “She has taught me to work hard and be strong and graceful. She’s also taught me to be a good person, to love more, be kind and be grateful.”
“I would not be the person I am today without Jesica,” said Anna. “I have known her since I was 3 years old and she has taught me to have endurance and have confidence. She is one of my biggest mentors. I love her so much.”
The twins’ mother, Diane Jenson, an administrator for Stephens and Company, agrees. “I credit much of their kind confident and hardworking attributes to Jesica.”
Today, DE has 300 students, seven teachers, six assistants, a costume coordinator and an office manager. With such success, Barker was recognized with the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce ATHENA Young Professional Award in 2020.
The studio attends competitions in Phoenix and wins awards each year. “Last year, at the Dupree Competition, we won the Class Act Studio award, given to a studio that showed the most support to other studios. To see them [the students] win because of their kindness and encouragement to other dancers meant a lot to me.”
The values set forth at DE are extracted from the acronym LEAP: Love, Excellence, Accountability and Positivity.
“I work directly with Jesica on a daily basis and have the opportunity to watch her work closely with our dancers,” said DE Office Manager Alicia Ralston. “She is the embodiment of our LEAP values, especially as she exhibits love. She helps the dancers learn to love one another and themselves by example and spends extra time outside of class taking late-night messages or staying after class. The dancers work hard for her because they know she genuinely loves and cares about each of them, which is a huge motivator.”
As a mom of three, ages 14, 10 and 7, Barker says she struggles with guilt but makes sure her children take priority. “I take them on individual dates and try my best to make sure they feel important. They all have grown up at the studio and as students, they do have to work harder than anyone else.” FBN
By V. Ronnie Tierney, FBN
DancEvolution is located at 2822 N. Izabel. For more information, call 928-440-5061.
Photo by V. Ronnie Tierney, Fresh Focuses Photography: Jesica Barker poses with Sugar Plum Fairy Aubry Shkolnik during rehearsal for The Nutcracker.
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