Meet Tina Rojas

Today we’d like to introduce you to Tina Rojas.

Hi Tina, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I grew up raised by a single mom and the youngest of three kids in Chicago, IL just north of the city – I can still vividly remember window shopping the giant teddy bears and expensive barbies at FAO Schwarz. We didn’t have a lot of money but we did have the spirit to enjoy life. All I will say about my father is that he is from Costa Rica and found his path apart from my story for most of my life. In lieu of the realities of a divorced-home kid, I was quiet, awkward, and confused with lots of abandonment issues. I often got bullied because I couldn’t stand my ground on anything and always looked nervous.

As an early teen, my mom moved us back to Kansas where she was born and raised so we could be closer to family. Most of my life I spent doing what others did because that was how I survived. I was an imposter trying to pose appropriately. Being a kid is hard for us all but somehow we find a way to a safe happy place. Early on in life, I found my happiness and a freedom voice amidst a dance studio at the age of three – Christine Belpedio’s School of Dance. I couldn’t control a missing father, an overworked mother, my social anxiety, early-onset loneliness, my lack of roots, or the bullying kids in my neighborhood – but I had the freedom to love myself and find my voice in a small room lined with mirrors and a woman counting “5-6-7-8.”

The footwork looked like a creative math challenge and I wanted to craft my body into whatever shapes came my way. I was never good at social connection, family, school (until later in life), friends, relationships, etc. What I did was lift my chin to work hard and dance. Over time, I grew an identity as a dancer and focused on making good grades to perform and compete. As I grew older, I found my confidence and place as a dancer in studios, competitions, and dance teams. By the time I was 20, I had studied many forms of commercial dance including ballet, jazz, jazz-funk, hip-hop, modern, and contemporary all in competitive forms with Spring Hill Dance Team, Powerhouse Dance Studio, Point B Dance, University of Kansas, Avila University, and several studios in Los Angeles, CA where I’d travel often to train.

Throughout my early 20s, I continued my adventures as a professional dancer performing, studying, teaching, and choreographing. In this time, I went through the struggles of an eating disorder, got married and divorced, and found myself empty and with broken dreams by 24. Something had to change. I had spent my entire life listening to what the masses said, pleasing the wants of others instead of my own, covering up and staying quiet as I was told “women should do.” I was angry at our culture and I was angry with myself. I wanted more from life. It was time to empower myself and try a new tactic to life. I decided to complete my Masters in Nutrition Science Research (MS) to empower myself against eating disorders and poor nutrition.

I also developed a dance movement called “The Own It Project.” This would be my project for the next season of life. Amidst a difficult time in life, I put my head down and focused on what worked – what empowered me to be a better version of myself. The answer had been self-love and appreciation. “Own your worth” is what I would say to my students as I taught dance classes to all ages ranging from 3-60 at several studios throughout KCMO including Kansas City Ballet and Dance Fit Flow. I began incorporating nutrition into the self-love of dance as I continued my passions.

In 2018, I developed workshops at Quixotic Fusion, LUM Health Studio, and The Crossroads Hotel in which I’d educate individuals on topics of self-love, commercial dance, empowerment, mindful eating, unique self-expression, and communal growth. I currently work as a holistic healing nutrition professional and dance professionally in KCMO. I am currently performing with Quixotic Fusion in the stunning original Cirque Cabaret creation of Sensatia at the Quixotic Theater in Crown Center. At this point in life, I hope to do so much more with my passions for nutrition and dance.

I continue to teach and empower humans in HEELS dance classes where I teach the concept of self-love and worth through the art of dance and sensuality. My story is a messy journey of finding self-worth, performance, and consistently making space for sustainable healing while empowering others.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Absolutely not – mostly because of my own choices. I struggled with self-love and abandonment issues without identifying those true psychological struggles until about the age of 24. It took a lot of therapy and self-work. I learned to leave the shame behind and own my story. I regret nothing because this is my life and I had to learn my lessons. I am sorry for the choices I made that hurt others but I only consider it a mistake if we do not learn from the lessons of life.

We grow stronger in lieu of it all if we put in the work. Have I made a mess at times – sure – but sometimes we have to make a mess to learn the beauty of what’s beneath. I aim to be better and love more intentionally every day of my life.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am primarily a dancer and performer. My most popular class is HEELS commercial choreography in which I teach both beginner and advanced dancers how to walk and dance confidently while wearing heels. Yes, heels. Stilettos, pumps, NOT PLATFORM but definitely three-inch heels. Burju is an excellent heel shoe company if you are curious about the style of shoe we are talking about. This does set me apart for several reasons.

I am a woman living in the midwest covered in tattoos and teaching other humans to dance with sexual expression. There are a lot of people that harshly judge this choice in career. There is also a sector of the dance population that believes sensual movement and adult performance such as cabaret, burlesque, heels, etc., are beneath the rest. Nevertheless, I stand by the power of what I do and how it transforms feminine individuals that walk into my classes. What we create is for no one else but ourselves. It’s about personal growth. We empower each other to own our bodies and unique beauty while honing the power of internal and external strength. It’s the transformation that does it for me.

People walk in feeling drained, down, ugly, confused, and deflated, and in one hour of dancing, they feel light, confident, strong, balanced, and bold. We laugh and cry in these classes. It’s an impressive balance of humility and confidence. It’s a stunning vision only a few get to see or experience. I believe we can practice sexual movement without sexualizing ourselves. It’s a balance of maturity and vulnerability. What we do as HEELS dancers is beautiful and I stand by that truth.

So maybe we end on discussing what matters most to you and why?
I live a life of glitter and performance but at the end of the day what makes me happy is very human. Health, home, family, purpose, and passion. Keeping what’s most important to me simple. My home and relationship sustain my everyday joy.

Eating nutritionally rich meals that sustain my healing and wellness. Calling my mom and catching up with family. I am thankful for the extra but what matters most are the simple things and knowing how to value them with time and mindfulness.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Instagram: @tinajanerojas

Image Credits:
Melanie Sanchez