Our mission is to provide young students, regardless of their economic circumstances, exposure to the power and pursuit of the arts focusing on dance.

sisterhood | support | community

EMPOWER DANCE STUDIO grants opportunities for dancers to excel, advance, and perform.  Keeping with the mission of Empower to nurture and foster natural beauty, instill self-confidence, and reinforce positive images of dancers from all backgrounds. Empower offers a comfortable environment where young dancers are offered a wide variety of classes that ensure quality learning beginning with the fundamentals. Classes encourage dancers to be expressive, motivated, and empowered through movement

HISTORY

Since 2015, Empower Dance has been a space for representation and exposure in the arts. Empowering dancers of all color, shape, and size to enjoy the benefits of dance.  Becoming a cultural ambassador of arts and community in Downtown Durham, established in June of 2017, the Empower Dance Foundation has awarded over $30,000 in scholarship money to young dancers in need.  
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Empower is defined by sisterhood, support, and community; we are a safe and secure place for children to express themselves. By allowing children to excel and have an outlet in a world when it is needed most. 

Meet Our Team

nicole oxendine

executive director

jessica burroughs

community outreach

brittany harlan

Development coordinator

Meet Our Team

NICOLE OXENDINE

FOUNDER, EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

Nicole D. Oxendine's passion for dance spans over 26 years, a passion that inspired her to dedicate her life to teaching and mentoring. Nicole is a full-time entrepreneur and owner of Empower Dance Studio, a studio based in Durham, NC that nurtures and fosters natural beauty, instills self-confidence, and reinforces positive images of dancers from all backgrounds.

Nicole graduated from Hollins University in 2003 with a B.A. in psychology and dance. She received her M.A. in dance/movement therapy from Columbia College Chicago in 2011 and her course of studies was focused on adolescents with developmental disabilities.  She has successfully taught dance at Hillside High School for ten years and is currently a part-time faculty member at North Carolina Central University, and authors the dance curriculum for the Durham Public School system.

Under the direction of Nicole Oxendine, Empower Dance Studio has been in high demand for performances and workshops from Durham Public Schools, Durham Chamber of Commerce, North Carolina Museum of Art, African American Heritage Commission, North Carolina Museum of History, East Durham Children’s Initiative, Austin Lawrence Partners, Duke Performances, and American Tobacco Campus. 
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Nicole’s work in the non-profit sector is extensive, having been a program coordinator for A Long Walk Home in Chicago, a program that uses arts to advocate against sexual violence. She worked in various capacities at the prestigious American Dance Festival. Her charitable work includes founding her own non-profit organization, the Empower Dance Foundation.  Nicole continues her philanthropic efforts, serving on the Board of Directors for The Carolina Theater of Durham and North Carolina Arts in Action.  She currently consults on community arts engagement for Capital Broadcasting Company and Duke Performances.

BRITTANY HARLAN

DEVELOPMENT coordinator

Brittany Harlan's appreciation and passion for dance has been ongoing since the age of three. A native of Charlotte, NC, she believes sharing the gift of dance through performing, creating, teaching, and educating is her calling. Brittany received her BFA in Dance from Jacksonville University (JU) where she had the opportunity to travel abroad in Curacao, performing and teaching collaboratively with students from the University of Holland. Also while attending JU, she was able to work with choreographers such as Lana Heylock, Take Ueyama, & David Parsons and she received the Excellence in Choreography Award in 2011.

After relocating to Durham in 2013, Brittany immersed herself in the dance community where she has performed with Carrboro Modern Dance Company, the Justice Theatre Project, the NC Dance Festival, and various Durham-based artists. While teaching at The Ballet School of Chapel Hill and Threehouse Studios in Durham, Brittany is working on her Master's Degree in Arts Administration from Drexel University and serves as the Academy Administrator and Ballet Teacher at Empower Dance Studio.