How David Slaney is Building The Vixens With Werk

Where your inner vixen can take up all the space she deserves.

He didn't set out to build a company. He just wanted to create a space where women could take up the whole stage – and where his younger, queer self could finally feel completely at home.

Do it while you're scared. Because now that I'm here, I look at so many people and think – what you have to offer is so unique. But you have to let yourself show up for it.

– David Slaney, Founder, Vixens Dance Company
‍

The dance community in the early 2000s had a formula. Teams had a set structure, and the women got maybe thirty seconds to a minute on stage – a highlight slot, then back to the sidelines. David Slaney watched that and thought: that's crazy. He'd just done a piece in heels with his team, and the response was unlike anything he'd seen. Something clicked. If no one else was going to build a space for women to take center stage, he would.

That was 2012. The Vixens debuted at Max Out, and what started as a community project has since grown into a full training and performance company with a year-round program, a performance division, a signature intensive, and an annual event that invites the moms in too. David never planned any of it. He just kept saying yes to what the community needed – and building accordingly.

The Journey: From Disney to the Dance Community

David started dancing around 13, trained through the usual routes – studios, dance teams – but didn't really find his people until he was about 20, working at Disneyland. It was there that he got introduced to the community scene, eventually joining Barakada Modern, Boogie Zone, Breed, and Mischief Makers. Industry work happened – he danced for Mary J. Blige early on, got signed with Clear Talent Group – but his heart was always in building something of his own.

"I was so preoccupied with the community and dancing at Disney," he says. "That took so much of my time and my identity." Looking back, it makes total sense. Everything he poured into those years laid the foundation for what Vixens became – a community-first performance company built on the values he'd been living all along.

Why Vixens Exists

It started with a heels piece. David was asked to choreograph for his team, did it in heels, and the response was overwhelming. "I don't think anyone had really done an all-girls, everyone-in-heels-on-stage-at-the-same-time moment like that," he says. From there, the observations started stacking up. The community was predominantly male. The women got their thirty seconds. And David – young, queer, surrounded by a scene that didn't quite have a container for all of him – wanted something different.

I really wanted a space for my young queer self to feel like I could be completely, 100% authentically me. Being on these male-dominated teams, I didn't see that for myself. So being able to direct Vixens was not only a safe space for me – it was a safe space for the women.

He reached out to dancers he respected across different teams, brought them together for a project, and Vixens was born.

What Vixens Looks Like Now

What began as a performance project has grown into two distinct companies operating under the Vixens name, plus a signature intensive and a community event that's become a yearly staple.

Vixens Academy

‍The training arm, for dancers who are serious about growing their craft. Runs year-round on a quarterly schedule and tuition.

Vixens Dance Company

‍The performance arm, with the goal of giving dancers real performance experience in front of real audiences at shows like World of Dance, at community showcases, at the Vixens' own annual show.

OC Heels Experience

‍A three-day intensive for beginner to intermediate dancers. Dancers spend two days in studio learning choreography and building fundamentals, and on day three – a full video shoot on set with a videographer. "People who feel like they may not have the skill set to feel like a superstar – we just bring that to them."

Mommy, Me & Mimosas

‍An annual event born from a realization: the moms who support these dancers never get their own moment. "We need a space for us as dancers to connect with the people who support us so much. And the moms need a safe space too."

The Vixens' wide programming is only possible with the board members who have shown up consistently to support the vision.

Building something real requires trusting others with what you've built – and these women have made that easy: Ari Parker, June Nakayama, Serina Ortiz, Naomi Jost, and Miranda Ramirez. Vixens wouldn't be what it is without you.

Running It on Werk: Building an Audience He Actually Owns

David teaches at three studios across LA and Orange County – Offstage, S1L, and Movement Lifestyle. He's consistent, he's present, and people keep showing up for him. But for a long time, none of that translated into a personal network he could actually reach. Every class ended, people went home, and the only way to stay connected was hoping they'd catch his next post on Instagram – if the algorithm cooperated.

It's really hard to create my own personal network. I don't have TikTok, I don't have Facebook – I'm not someone who's on a million different platforms. So to streamline everything and have everyone go to one place is really convenient for someone like me.

That one place is Werk. His weekly classes are posted there. The QR code makes sign-up frictionless. And for the first time, every person who takes his class has a path to staying connected – not just as a follower, but as part of his list.

The Vixens showcase last year ran ticketing through Werk – and sold out. Private lessons are listed on his profile. And as he migrates more of his students onto the platform, he's watching what happens when the community he's been building in person finally has a digital home to match.

I think it's important for someone to have control over their own audience. Werk provides that – outside of Instagram.

– David Slaney

What strikes you most about David's story isn't the accolades – it's the honesty.

There were years I felt not worthy. Not valuable. Not ready to even be teaching in LA. Don't wait. Do it while you're scared. When you settle into what you have to offer, you become so much more powerful to your community.

What's Next for Vixens

Big things are coming! Vixens is moving to Los Angeles. The training program is expanding – and opening up submissions, so joining Vixens feels less like an audition and more like joining a community. Stay tuned for their auditions in the fall!

David is one of thousands of dancers and creators building their businesses as Werk Members. If you're ready to do the same, join Werk today.