Writing and photographs by Jaiyana Wiley
Since I was young I’ve always loved dance. It became a hobby of mine and proceeded into me performing in front of large audiences from the ages of 8 until I was 11. So imagine my excitement when I was able to participate in a club for it! At age 13 and in my freshman year of high school, I began rekindling my relationship with dance, joining the club and meeting new people with my same interest.
Recently,I interviewed Some of the people who are a part of the Dance Club, including our Coach, Captain and a couple of dancers.
This Is Ms. Erneste, Coach and Founder of the DanceClub/Team. Ms Erneste began the team in October of 2021, and prior to that Ms Soto oversaw the Dance Club for 3 years. In Ms. Erneste’s words “The students and I revamped it. Before, the club was more about practicing routines, we began to contribute performances, and there are many more to come.” When I asked why she gave Dior the responsibility of captain, she said “I gave Dior captain because she has the maturity to lead the team and is able to produce choreography with creativity I’ve never seen before.”
Words from The Dance Captain.
Dior Hogan, Captain of the dance team, is in her senior year and will pass the responsibility of captain to someone else next year. Here is my interview with Dior:
So what inspired you to participate in dance?
Dior said, “I joined because dance has always been a part of my life since I was a little girl. When I dance, I express myself through my emotions. Having experience with dance outside of school due to the fact it was always a major passion I’ve had throughout my whole life, I wanted to share my talent with others.”
When I asked, “What is one thing involving dance that you would like to complete before the school year is over?” She answered “One thing involving dance that I would like to do before the school year is over is to come up with a majorette or modern choreography. That way, I can introduce different styles of dance into the club.”
I asked her how she would describe being Captain about which she said “Being a Captain isn’t easy because just in general when having a lead role of something there’s always going to be pressure, conflict, or work laid onto you because of that role; however, I love being a captain considering I can teach others rhythm and educate them on how to express themselves through dance.”
Finally, I asked her what advice would she give the freshmen who recently joined the team. She responded, “I would tell those freshmen to never doubt themselves even if they can’t get a step correctly because everyone starts from somewhere; therefore, if they really have a strong feeling for dance they should never quit.”
I also asked Leah, a friend of mine and a sophomore on the dance team, what advice she would give the freshman who joined the team recently. She said, “Advice that I would give to freshmen is to believe in what your heart desires and to never give up, especially when times get tough”.
I also asked freshman Tyla Ferdinand “What does she love about dance?” She said “ I love the choreography which is somewhat difficult, but I’m learning.” Then I asked her, “What does dance mean to her?” to which she replied “It’s who I am and how I express myself through my body.”
Overall, in my experience the dance team is a community in which we strive to create pieces that represent us as a whole. Our creativity alongside the support of our captain and coach motivate us to perform like nothing else. We stand united by movement!