17-03-2025
Lindley Mayer Gulledge: Dancing through a career ... with kindness
Lindley Mayer Gulledge's resume reflects a long, vibrant career in dance, acting, business ownership, mentoring and more. But no matter which role she is filling, kindness is what directs her path.
Gulledge is celebrating 10 years of her studio, Shock Dance Center. It's a milestone that she says means the world to her and those who are following in her agile footsteps.
'My mom put me in dance when I was 3 years old, and I feel like the moment I put my tap shoes on, I knew that was what I was going to do for the rest of my life,' she says. 'I know for a lot of people, it takes them a little while to figure it out, but I'm so thankful to my mom for that. She was a dancer as well, and I guess I just had it in my blood. But from that moment on, it just continued to be a huge part of my life and shaped me in so many different ways.'
Gulledge says her life has been directed in no small part by her siblings, who have developmental and physical disabilities, as well as her parents, who have supported her every step of the way.
'That was a struggle for me, especially being the older one, and I immediately wanted to take on that role of being a voice and being an advocate,' she says. 'It made me grow up very, very quickly, but it also gave me a heart for giving back, and really for wanting, ultimately, to create a program for kids like my siblings to feel a purpose, create friendships and to work out and to have something to do every single week that they look forward to.'
The pageant world has also been an important part of Gulledge's life. She held the title of Miss South Carolina's Teen 2005 and Miss South Carolina United States in 2016. She is currently serving as the Palmetto State Star Director for the Miss South Carolina organization. Through that work, she continues to mentor young women and encourage them to be true to themselves.
After training and working in California for several years, Gulledge knew she wanted to open a studio. The name she chose comes from her signature dance solo, called 'State of Shock.'
'I wanted to keep performing as long as I could, as long as my body would let me, and which I still am thankful that I get to do,' she says. 'But ultimately, I knew that I wanted to create that space. I wanted to bring my love for the special needs community and my passion for dance together. And that's what I did with Shock.'
With programs for toddlers through high school, Gulledge and her team are teaching discipline, commitment and hard work, with a generous portion of joy and delight. In addition to extensive recreational and competition dance programs, Shock also gives Gulledge a place to make her vision a reality. Shock Stars is a free, inclusive dance program for children with disabilities that lets everyone shine.
'It has grown so much over the years,' she says. 'We've also watched some of these kids grow up. This will be our 10th anniversary of Shock Dance, and we've had Shock Stars since our studio's inception. And of course, my siblings have been a part of it for all of those 10 years, but other kids have been a part of that as well. That is my favorite part about the studio. And I think my other favorite part is getting to watch the other kids interact with them.'
Shock Stars is held on a day when not many of the other programs are in session, but Gulledge says the students come anyway. As a result, everyone benefits.
'They're buddies to these kids inside and outside of the studio,' she says.
Shock Stars even have their own competition team.
'That is my dream come true,' Gulledge says. 'I can't imagine anything more special than that. They want friendships, and they want to be treated just like everybody else, and they want to be understood.'
Outside the studio, Gulledge is a wife and mother, and she remains actively involved in the lives of the many young people she mentors and influences through her work.
'I always tell them I have 100 kids, because I love them all with all of my heart and I know them all and I know what their journey is and I know where they want to go,' she says.
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This article originally appeared on Greenville News: Lindley Mayer Gulledge: Dancing through a career ... with kindness
