This past week I got the opportunity to sit down with ERP Model Holly Chambers and talk about her personal growth and the role confidence has played in her life this far. If you know Holly, then you won’t be surprised when the conversation started with dance. The 5’ 7” dance goddess picked up her dancing shoes at a very young age, “As soon as I was potty trained, I’m pretty sure that was a requirement”, she joked. “I was two years old.” Though her dance career began early in life, it wasn’t always her favorite thing to do. Like any relationship, her passion for dance had to grow. “When I was really young it was just something fun to do, when I reached 8 or 9 years old I didn’t really want to go anymore but my dad made me. I wanted to be lazy!” she laughed. “By the time I reached middle school, I had fallen in love with it.” Her romance for dance was sparked by her dance instructor Scott Benson. “He inspired me because he saw potential in me. We started working one on one, and that built my confidence in dance.”
While her confidence on the dance stage was taking off, her confidence in herself was barely there. “I hated my red hair, I did not want it. I had zero confidence in myself.” She explained. “I wouldn’t even go to the beach with my friends because I hated how pale I was. I did NOT feel pretty.” I was completely surprised to hear of her past hatred for her appearance, I mean, her fiery red hair and porcelain skin was what had drown me to scout her at the age of 15 for my modeling group. Curious, I asked her when she became more confident in herself? But I was not prepared for her answer! She replied, “I would say that the biggest turning point in my confidence outside of dance, was my first modeling experience with ERP. It boasted my confidence a lot! Once I seen my pictures for the first time, and read comment after comment that I should model, I decided to embrace my red hair, my porcelain skin and who I was.”
With her new found confidence in herself and a positive self image, “Things just started happening…” She continued. Other modeling opportunities started opening up for Holly, including being scouted for MMG, a modeling agency out of New York City, as well as other local commercial shoots through ERP Modeling Group. “I was featured on a billboard for Artemis Boutique and asked to model clothes for Deep Southern Boutique’s website, all through ERP.” She proudly explained. Her new found love for modeling wasn’t the only area of her life impacted by her upgraded self esteem, it also gave her the back bone she needed to take on teaching a dance class of her own at only 15 years old. “I started teaching a class we call “Twinkle Stars”, its a class for kids between the ages of 3-10. We have the ages split up into different days at Pam Nobles Dance Studio. My time spent teaching these kids is how I learned that I wanted to be a dance instructor.” Holly continued, while her eyes lit up.
“Modeling for the ERP Modeling Group played a huge role in me having the confidence to take on the responsibility of teaching. It changed everything for me, especially social interactions with people. When you have confidence and feel good about yourself it’s easier to take on things and to be open to new experiences that you would have been scared to do before, things that take you out of your comfort zone.” After 18 years at Pam Nobles Dance Studio, she now has a slew of dance awards including overall in competition and judge’s choice. Holly is now a high school graduate and attending college for a degree in elementary education, while also slaying at teaching tiny dancers to have confidence and a positive self image.