Bold & Beautiful: Jose Rojas

What began as a personal exploration of heel dancing has become a teaching career for Ogden-based heel instructor Jose Rojas. Rojas has taught others the art of heel dancing and helped cultivate a thriving community where locals learn to connect with themselves, embrace their bodies and express their emotions through movement. 

Rojas grew up in Southern California, where his family moved from Guadalajara, Jalisco, Mexico, when he was three. He moved to Utah in 2018 with his partner Marcelino and their playful pups, Bailey and Bella. 

While in California, Rojas taught dances for sweet sixteens and talent shows, working primarily with teenagers. After moving to Utah, he was introduced to heel dancing when he attended a class hosted by Heal in a Heel. He says, “It didn’t matter how you looked or the type of body you had, the type of person you were, or if you were a woman or a man. It was just a program to heal yourself around uplifting people.”

“I used to be very nervous speaking in front of people. Now, I could have a whole class of 20 people, and I’m okay because I’m able to be in a space where I feel secure and safe.”

After this initial class, Rojas delved deeper into the local heels community by discovering other companies like Heelphoria and attending many workshops in Salt Lake. “I learned to be more comfortable with myself, with my body, and I got the opportunity to dance in heels. I never thought I would find that in Utah…just being able to move however I want and how my body told me,” he says. His relationship with dance continued to evolve. 

Rojas was faced with challenges during his journey. The day before he was scheduled to teach his first heels workshop, Rojas was told that his father suffered a stroke. Caught between returning home to California or teaching the workshop in Utah, he ultimately stayed in Utah with his mother’s encouragement. After the workshop, he returned to California for a month and attended more classes, expressing that dance had become his therapy. “Attending classes close to home in California helped me heal and get the strength I needed during these hard moments. Being close to my family during times like this, I felt I was able to connect with them and myself more.” 

Rojas transitioned from student to instructor, leading his first community workshop in April 2023. “Taking that step to teach my first community class was everything, you know? I was able to get to know myself as a leader for the first time. That’s where I started realizing: ‘Is this something that I love? Should I start teaching my own thing?,’” he says. Inspired by the sense of community and self-expression he found in these programs, he launched his own brand. 

This experience laid the foundation for Heels in Motion or H.I.M., which he officially launched in January 2024. H.I.M. was an instant success and was even invited to perform with SLC Pride in 2024. Rojas now offers workshops primarily focusing on heel dancing, with occasional classes on other styles like sneaker dancing. He designs his classes to be accessible to all students while challenging enough to inspire growth and confidence in more experienced dancers. 

“I learned to be more comfortable with myself, with my body, and I got the opportunity to dance in heels.”

Since discovering his passion for heel dancing, Rojas has transformed into a confident, spirited version of himself. He says, “My confidence has built up. I used to be very nervous speaking in front of people. Now, I could have a whole class of 20 people, and I’m okay because I’m able to be in a space where I feel secure and safe. Even outside of dance, I feel like I’m able to be able to speak up for myself if anything is wrong… I say no when it’s no and yes when it’s yes.” His hope is that all his students will discover this same level of self-love and expression in his classes. 

Teaching has been a fulfilling journey for Rojas. “Teaching is very great because I enjoy seeing people do what they love, which is to connect with their bodies, being able to move, feeling challenged. When I see people post my classes on Instagram, it feels like they’re showing it to the world, to their friends and family. And when I see that, I’m like, ‘that’s something I created.’”  He aims to help others have the same fulfillment, ensuring his classes are safe for all people, regardless of their body type, sexuality, gender or race. “Everybody is welcome,” he states. 

Rojas performs his choreography with Heels Queens Sundays at Milk+, and H.I.M. will perform at the Sneaker Convention Expo on April 5. You can keep up with new classes and announcements on Roja’s Instagram @heels_inmotion.

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