She’s Behind BHAM’s New Indoor Pickleball Club
Using lessons learned from running a dance studio for two decades, Shannon Denney is opening a premier indoor pickleball club in Birmingham this spring. Image: Josie Kurz
Surprisingly, it was Shannon Denney’s love of dance, not pickleball, that led her to co-found a new Birmingham-area location of The Picklr. As the owner of The Pointe Dance Arts studio for 20 years, she values creative outlets and sees pickleball as a favorite for all ages. Set to open in March 2025, The indoor pickleball club will offer memberships for children and adults, and there are plans to add a restaurant. Get to know this fun FACE of Birmingham!
How did your passion for dance lead to an interest in starting a pickleball business?
I’ve always been passionate about people having an outlet. It’s important that people have a hobby and a way to express themselves. And as we get older, it’s harder to find those things. Pickleball has become a way for people of all ages to find that. You can be a super athlete and play pickleball, but the average Joe can also find that sense of community and be active.
It’s just an incredible hobby. When my husband brought this to me, I thought, This is genius. We’ve got to do this. We started looking at different franchises out there, and the Picklr was just above everybody else. It’s like the Saks Fifth Avenue of pickleball franchises.
What made The Picklr stand out?
It’s a constant sense of excellence and attention to detail, down to the fact that in every club, you won’t see any exterior windows, and every wall is painted black. That’s so players can see the ball better. They also have this special sound bath over every single court to help cut down on noise as you’re playing.
How did the idea to get into the pickleball business come about?
My husband is a tennis player. My daughter and husband play basketball together, and we are members of Lifetime Fitness. Every time my husband would play basketball with my daughter or try to play tennis at Lifetime, the courts were always taken with pickleball players. He would get so mad — to the point that a couple of years ago, my daughter and I gave him a notepad (as a joke) that said, “Pickleball is my favorite season.”
But eventually, he tried pickleball and really enjoyed it. And because he’s a tennis player, he’s really good at it. With both of us being entrepreneurs and him seeing that pickleball is everywhere, he came to me and said, “We’ve got to get on this train.”
You’ve owned The Pointe Dance Arts for 20 years. What has kept you in the business for so long?
I believe in helping kids be great people. It’s not just about teaching dance; we believe in teaching the whole child. And that’s why I got into it, to begin with. I use dance as a pathway, but it was always about helping kids grow into strong-minded, healthy kids with an incredible work ethic — kids who were driven and knew what it meant to work with a team and could grow up to do great things.
The reality is that most kids will not grow up to be dancers, and we know that going into it. So, it’s important for us to help them see that they can be successful at whatever they do.
What inspired you to open a dance studio?
I grew up as a dancer, and I danced while I was at the University of Alabama, but I got my degree in political science and business — I was going to be the governor of the state of Alabama, and I was going to change the world. I worked in politics for a while after graduating, and I realized I would not change the world in politics. I realized I was going to change the world by working with kids.
While I was in politics, I was teaching dance in the evenings. Then, I had the opportunity to start my dance studio and resigned from politics. My boss told me I was crazy; I was making great money. And for the first five years in my dance studio business, I did not take a paycheck. But it was the best decision I ever made in my whole life. I would never go back and change a thing.
What lessons have you learned from 20 years of owning a dance studio that you plan to apply to this new journey into the pickleball industry?
The biggest mistake any business owner can make is to have that mentality of “this is the way we’ve always done it, so that’s the way we’re going to always do it.” I’m not that person. I’m constantly learning and changing. I make mistakes like crazy, and I admit my mistakes and fix what’s going on. I listen to what my customers say. We have tried to be a customer-focused business, which is what we will do at the Picklr.
For example, if a customer at the studio says they’re going to take a trip to Disney World, we’ll try to order a pair of Minnie Mouse ears for their child.
It’s about making every single person feel that we see them, value them, and that they are not just numbers to us. They’re not dollar signs to us. They’re human beings, and that’s the way we intend to treat everybody at The Picklr.
What do you like to do when you’re not working?
We love to eat. I’d like to be a little more bougie and tell you that I have some fancy restaurants that I love (which I do), but recently, I’ve become obsessed with Culinary Dropout at The Summit.
We also recently tried Current Charcoal Grill.
What’s the best advice you’ve been given?
The best advice I got was actually from my former boss in politics. Even though I did not love that career, I’ve carried this with me forever and use it when I’m teaching my students: “Your best can always be better.”
I apply that to myself, and that’s part of the reason why my business has been so successful. I continue to hold myself to a very high standard. I hold the people around me to a high standard, too. It’s important to constantly level up.
Aside from faith, family, and friends, what are three things you can’t live without?
Steel-cut oatmeal, Trader Joe’s almond butter, and lipstick.
Lightning Round!
Favorite guilty pleasure? The Real Housewives franchise.
Favorite hidden gem in BHM? Ryan Reeve Boutique in Cahaba Heights
Favorite book? Year of Yes by Shonda Rimes
Last book you read? Unreasonable Hospitality by Will Guidara
Go-to birthday present? Gift cards
Top travel bucket list destination? The Greek Isles
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Javacia Harris Bowser
Javacia Harris Bowser is a Birmingham-based freelance writer and the founder of See Jane Write, an online community and coaching service for women who write. With over 20 years of journalism experience, Javacia has received awards from the National Federation of Press Women, Alabama Media Professionals, Alabama Press Association, and the Alabama State Council on the Arts. When she’s not writing, she’s usually practicing Pilates, getting her 10K steps a day, or watching crime shows. Follow Javacia on Instagram @seejavaciawrite.