Meet Melissa Woodruff of DivaDance Port City

Today we’d like to introduce you to Melissa Woodruff

Hi Melissa, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
About 5 years ago, I started to take my self-care & health a bit more seriously after having two children & feeling like I put myself on the back burner; feeling like not doing so was selfish. I decided to make a bold move and hired a personal trainer. Fast-forward 3 years – I ended up growing a passion for working out for fun & really had a different view on exercise as a whole, or so I thought. Stay tuned! LOL! This passion led me to pursue a personal training certification, thinking that guiding people in their fitness journeys would be my calling. But along the way, something unexpected happened that completely shifted my perspective.

While diving into the certification textbook & online trainings, I began to understand that physical health is deeply connected to mental health. The more I learned, the more I realized that exercise isn’t just about sculpting the body—it’s a powerful tool for nurturing the mind. This revelation struck a chord with me because mental health is something I’ve always been passionate about. I couldn’t ignore the fact that our emotional well-being often needs to be addressed before we can make meaningful progress in any fitness routine. Taking a pause, I realized that I myself went through emotional struggles in the beginning of my fitness journey; was it me, my body, my mind, my trainer, am I doing enough?, I could be doing more, all the things!

At this point, I took a step back and asked myself: What form of movement brings me the most joy and mental clarity? The answer was clear: dance. Dance is something I’ve always loved to do, I mean…does the club count or shaking it while getting ready in the morning? Hahaha! Honestly, dance has not always been my outlet or my form of therapy, but after doing a lot of my own research on the collaboration of physical & mental health, it clung to me. It’s an activity that doesn’t just strengthen the body—it builds confidence, encourages creativity, and exercises the brain. It’s a way to connect with yourself, and others, on a deeper level, all while having fun & not necessarily worry about if you’re doing it perfectly or not.

I realized that dance could be the key to helping people bridge the gap between mental and physical health, but also, possibly be the catalyst to get people in the gym when they are mentally & emotionally ready. It’s not about chasing perfection or reaching a certain fitness goal—it’s about finding joy in movement, boosting self-esteem, and fostering a positive mindset. At the foundation of the DivaDance franchise, the core values that each franchisee upholds are Inspiring Confidence & Building Community while at the same time changing lives!

Today, I’m proud to be the owner of DivaDance Port City where our clients can explore the transformative power of dance. But please know, I cannot do what I do without my amazing staff squad community!

“At DivaDance Port City, our staff’s mission is to create a safe and supportive space where individuals can embrace their authentic selves, find joy in self-expression, and prioritize self-love and self-care. Through our shared passion for dance, we inspire personal growth, celebrate individuality, and empower everyone to shine both on and off the dance floor.”

So, whether you’re a seasoned dancer or someone who’s never taken a class, our goal is to make you feel welcome, empowered, and inspired at every class you take with us!

Starting this journey wasn’t always easy, but it has been incredibly fulfilling. I’ve learned that success isn’t just about achieving personal milestones—it’s about creating a positive impact in the lives of others. And that’s exactly what I plan to continue to do, one DivaDance class at a time.

Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
One of the biggest struggles was learning all of the new platforms for the business; the marketing campaign platform, HQs article database, the scheduling & booking software, the graphic design software, Meta Business Suite, etc. And then! Learning how to be efficient with all of it.

Since I bought into a franchise, knowing or worrying, what was “right” or “wrong” ways to do things – if there even were. But the franchise was, & still is, very open to letting us franchisees approach a lot of things the way we’d like to as long as we stay on brand.

Heck! Learning what “On Brand” truly meant & always keeping that in mind.

Marketing – knowing what to spend money on first, second, third or not pursuing it at all because I didn’t budget for it yet or the demographic wasn’t my demographic.

A lot of “live and learn” was said in 2024 – hahaha!

Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your business?
DivaDance is a franchise based out of Austin, TX. I bought into the franchise in the summer of 2023 & we opened the studio doors to DivaDance Port City on October 20, 2023. We are an inclusive, adults only, choreography based dance studio where every class is different; the song & choreo! We also do private group classes, private adult parties to celebrate anything your heart is excited about, AND just this year we started hosting Kid & Teen Parties!

We are all-levels so no dance experience is needed nor required. Our classes are mainly hip hop based, but we do have several core class types that we offer each month; lyrical, poms classes, chair routines, heels optional, removable layer optional, canes classes, and we now have two new formats entering into 2025!!! DanceRx & NonStop!

Our dance therapy-inspired DanceRx class is a chance to reset, refresh, and release. This class is a science-backed slice of self-care for a busy queen or king bee – curated to a feel-good playlist. We’ll begin with a quick journal prompt and a chill version of the DivaDance warmup, followed by some stretch-and-hold sequences. We learn a low-impact DivaDance lyrical routine inspired by our theme of class with just enough cardio to release those happy chemicals without getting too sweaty. We’ll do some intentional breathing before some end-of-class stillness.

NonStop is our first and only “follow the leader” class format! It’s a 45 minute dance party, set to a curated playlist, focuses on multiple “mini routines” of repeating movement or combinations of moves that are in sync with the major parts of a song and repeat each time that part of the song occurs. The brain matches the moves with the music further enhancing our muscle memory allowing us to switch off our brain and turn on the dance party!

At DivaDance, we have two core values – Inspiring Confidence & Building Community. It has been so rewarding to experience both in action here in North Carolina. There is no feeling like having people express their love for your business & the positive impact it’s having on their life.

If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
Growing up I danced up until 5th grade and then made the transition to sports in 6th grade. I played soccer from 6th – 12th grade with dreams to go play in college, but my junior year of high school I tore my ACL in my left knee. I had surgery not long after, and I never fully came back from that injury. Diving into my love of sports starting in middle school, I tried several different but my heart always lead me back to the soccer pitch; trying basketball, softball, soccer, volleyball, and even dabbled in a little tennis for a hot second.

I was, and kind of still am, very quiet & reserved but spoke up when I felt the need hahaha.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.divadanceportcity.com
• Instagram: @divadanceportcity
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DivaDancePortCity