“We teach life through dance!”
Join Our Village
We would love to welcome you to our family
Our Story
From our Founder: Brianna “Bri” Hairlson:
Bri's Dance Place was birthed while attending Howard University in the Dance Minor program. We have been in the Northwest Indiana community since 2012, offering the first Brianna’s Winter Dance Camp for 2 days held at Embassies of Christ in Gary, IN for over 20 students.
7 years later, we officially opened our doors to work with all ages, stages, and abilities. From our Tots N’ Tutus class for 2-3 year olds to our nationally recognized Bri’s Bump, Baby N’ Dance Classes, we truly offer the joy of dance to all!
Our mission is to positively impact the lives of individuals through dance by providing discipline, character development, confidence, and integrity through age appropriate choreography, music, & costuming from the best instructors in the industry and exposure to international arts related and performance opportunities.
International Award Winning Dance Studio
Bri’s Dance Place is Proud to have given over $25,000 in Grants and Scholarships to students and business leaders.
Watch Our Journey to Entrepreneurship in Comcast Rise: The Road to RISE
Recreational or Advanced Classes
Bri’s Dance Place offers classes in several styles for ALL ages, stages, and abilities.
Enrolling multiple dancers? Learn about our family discounts
Interested in performance groups? Learn More
View class schedule for this session
Learn more & Register
Weekly Classes
Meet Bri’s Dance Place Staff
Brianna Hairlson
Author | Speaker | CEO
Brianna Hairlson is an inspirational motivator, joy giver, and faith activator committed to helping other women enthusiastically pursue God’s purpose for their lives.
When her tech firm laid her off at 3 months pregnant, Brianna created Bri’s Bump N’ Dance Class, a nationally-recognized dance class for expecting moms. With the 2018 Bump N’ Dance tour, she hosted classes for moms in 7 cities across the US while 6 months pregnant herself. Her classes have been featured on Let’s Make a Deal and Windy City Live. A lover of movement, Brianna danced through her pregnancy, stopping only 4 days before giving birth to her first child!
She loves helping women build their businesses and love their lives, resulting in joyful profits. Her businesses have been awarded over 20 grants and fellowships since 2020, and over 30 awards since she started in 2018.
Brianna’s first book, Dance Through the Storms: 22 Faith-Filled Reflections to Maintain Your Joy gives insight into her personal story of triumph during life’s most difficult situations: when she was rejected in dance, believing God to pay for college, and the loss of her mom.
Brianna graduated from Howard University, where she majored in Business and minored in Dance. As the owner of Bri’s Dance Place, a dance studio located in Merrillville, Indiana, she provides classes for all ages, stages, and abilities while focusing on age-appropriate choreography, music, and costuming. The studio’s motto is, “We don’t just teach dance, we teach life!”
She is a 2018 Joseph Business Scholar and graduate of Joseph Business School from Living Word Christian Center and Dr. Bill Winston.
Even though she is a busy entrepreneur, she makes plenty of time for her family. Brianna and her husband Paul have 2 boys and a daughter (Paul II, Brayden, and Parker).
Staff
From Top To Bottom: Mrs. Bri, Miss Alicia, Miss India, and Ms. Theresa