We are Journey!
Our mission is to provide an enthusiastic, safe, nurturing and positive environment for dancers of all ages, backgrounds and abilities. We offer positive instruction while providing quality dance education with the best technique. We strive to enhance each and every dancer’s creativity, self-confidence, and self esteem.
The Journey Dance Center Objectives
To provide a carefully organized and affordable dance program.
To provide training for all dance levels from beginner to advanced.
To maintain a studio with a warm, inviting, supportive and positive atmosphere in which to provide great service.
To provide performance opportunities and display new talents.
Teach the importance of feeling, behaving, and performing in a positive manner
To educate students in the areas of dance terminology, movement, and technique along with historical and cultural elements from a variety of different dance forms.
What People Are Saying
“We have been with Journey Dance for 3 years now, and our experience has been nothing short of amazing. My daughter has grown and developed under the direction of Mrs. Myatta and Miss Stephanie from following directions to blossoming into a little “prima ballerina”. The foundation and material are all there with the correct terminology for our Brown Ballerinas. Definitely a “once in a lifetime experience” right in the middle of the southern Dallas area. If you’re thinking about joining, do it! It’s worth the smiles on our children’s faces.”
-Causha F.
“I have watched my daughters grow tremendously since becoming dancers at journey. My oldest has found her passion. My baby girl has come out of her shell and is very confident. It's evident that Myatta and Stephanie teach from a place of excellence and love. Thanks JDC!”
- Nicole T.
Journey Dance Center Staff
Myatta Flanagan,
Founder/Owner
Myatta Flanagan is a professional dancer, choreographer, and instructor whose career spans more than 30 years. The founder and director of Journey Dance Center, Myatta provides technical instruction to more than 100 students in several dance forms including lyrical, ballet, jazz, tap, and hip-hop.
Myatta has judged more than 30 dance competitions across the country and has produced and choreographed 65 award-winning competition performances; including a 2008 performance that earned her the Showbiz Dance Competition National Choreography Award.
Since relocating to Dallas/ Ft. Worth from her native Minneapolis, Minnesota, she has served as an Angelina Ballerina Dance Academy instructor, as well as Lead Dance Instructor at the Musical Arts Schoolhouse in Frisco, Texas.
Myatta has been featured as a dancer in dozens of shows and performances, including dancing back up for the legendary country music group Big & Rich. She has been featured as a member of The Exhibit Dance Collective and was a member of the inaugural Dallas Rattlers Dancers (Major League Lacrosse).
Myatta Flanagan has made it her life’s mission to have a first-hand role in inspiring and molding the next generation of creatives. She encourages each of them to follow their dreams; as doing so every day has been the realization of her own.
Lisa Linson
Competition and Recreation Instructor
Lisa Linson is a professional dancer and choreographer, with over 30 years of
experience. Born and raised in Cedar Hill, TX, she began dancing at the age of
3, training in Ballet, Jazz, Hip Hop, Contemporary, Tap, and Clogging. She is a
proud member of the Internationally Famous Tyler Junior College Apache
Belles Gold Alumni. During her time at TJC, Lisa performed at numerous
events and parades. She also traveled to Hawaii to perform for US Troops at
Pearl Harbor.
After graduating, she continued her career, dancing with the
Frisco Roughriders, Dollhouse Dance Company, and N2It Dance Company/The
Move to Groove Ball, where she served as Production Manager for the Move to
Groove Ball and Creative Director of the Groove Dolls. She also danced and
volunteered with The Dallas Defenders Police and Fire Football team, where
she served as Captain/Lead Choreographer of the Spirit Girls Dance Team
and the Fundraising Team. Lisa has also traveled all over the world, serving as a
judge for Varsity Sprit All Star Cheer and Dance.
Lisa joined the Journey Dance Center in 2022, teaching minis classes, as well
as serving as the Adult Hip Hop Fitness Instructor. She has grown with JDC
over the past year, choreographing for our award-winning competition
teams.
Currently, Lisa is a part of a powerhouse fitness team that participates in
Dance Fitness fundraising events throughout DFW. She is a certified MixxedFit
and Zumba Instructor and former member of M.O.M Crew, a Dallas-based
Professional Hip Hop Dance Team. In her free time, Lisa loves spending time
with her husband and their 3 beautiful children who have all discovered their
passion for dance as well.
Rebecca Espinoza
Ballet Instructor
Rebecca Espinoza began her dance training in her hometown of Canton, Michigan at the age of 3. Until the age of 18 she danced at local studios, nationwide conventions, and completed Cecchetti Training through grade VI. She graduated with her BFA in dance performance from Butler University in May 2024. She has always loved performing, especially in her favorite role as a Wili in Giselle, and her first professional role as the Sugarplum Fairy. While having a deep love of classical ballet she also enjoys jazz, modern, and contemporary. She has performed classical ballets such as Giselle, La Vivandière, Cinderella, and Swan Lake in addition to works set by Susan Mcguire, Marek Cholewa, and Cynthia Pratt. She is now a trainee at Avant Chamber Ballet in Dallas. When she’s not in the studio you can find Rebecca with a good book while looking for the best local coffee shop.
Laila Lewis
Instructor
Laila was born in Minneapolis, Minnesota, the first of two children. She started dancing at the age of three at The Art of Dance Studio in North Minneapolis and spent four to five years in recreational dance. She later joined their performance team and a year later moved up to the competition team.
While on the competition team her team won national and regional titles and were extremely successful. At the age of twelve Laila moved to Dallas, Texas where she was apart of the middle school dance program, as an eighth grader, through Richland High School.
Laila’s freshman year of high school she tried out for the drill team and made the Dixie Belle elite team, in which she is currently still on. The team is now called Royal Line Varsity Dance Team, and she is which she is a standout dancer for her senior year.
Laila plans to attend college in Houston, Texas and hopefully continue dancing.