It’s hard to believe that it’s time to start the countdown towards our graduating senior’s “lasts” – their graduation and final recital will be here before we know it. On the blog today: continuing this year’s Senior Features with a little bit more about the dancers you’ll see performing in the Senior Dance and a Senior Solo at recital. With so much uncertainty about what the rest of this school year will look like, we want to do what we can to help our graduating seniors know how loved and celebrated they are.
Senior Year at The Pointe
For many dancers, dancing all the way through their senior year is a big goal and a major accomplishment – many of our graduating seniors started dancing with us when they were in preschool! We are beyond grateful for the opportunity to be a part of their lives for so long and to get to watch them grow up into confident, thoughtful, and hard-working young adults.
Senior year is a special one – many of our seniors take classes and serve as Junior Faculty at The Pointe – assisting in classes with younger students and even helping with some competition practices over studio breaks. Seniors are all featured on canvases that we’ll print and put up later this fall in the hallway that will be graduation gifts for them showcasing their well-earned skill and artistry in dance.
You’ll see our seniors dance with Miss Vanessa in a group senior dance choreographed by the dancers at the recital, and each senior will have the opportunity to perform a solo of their choice. Giving these dancers an opportunity to showcase their performance skills and experiment with choreography is one of our favorite studio traditions.
Senior Feature: Kylie Anderson
Kylie’s Dance Bio
Kylie has been dancing at The Pointe for just two years – but it feels like we’ve known her and her family for much, much longer! Kylie came to The Pointe when her first studio was closing – and we knew immediately that she was a great fit for our studio and competitive program. Kylie is an incredibly hard worker, always going full out in every class or rehearsal, excited to try new things, and makes a point to spend time with younger dancers and make them feel awesome. In fact – we weren’t going to let Kylie leave after just two years with us. Next year, as she attends Kirkwood and performs on their dance team, she’s joining our studio faculty as an instructor! She’ll be teaching a few classes of her very own on Saturday mornings and we know she will be a fantastic teacher.
“Kylie is an absolute joy to have in class or rehearsal. She can both work hard and have a blast at the same time – and her leadership by example encourages others to do the same. She never holds back, and is always up to try something new. I knew from the minute we met to see if our studio was a good fit for her that she’d succeed here – and she truly has, in every way. She’s a natural performer, puts in the effort in class and at-home practice, and makes sure to encourage the young dancers in Company and her assisting classes who look up to her so much. I’m thrilled we get to keep Kylie around the studio – she will be an awesome teacher!”
-Miss Vanessa
In Her Own Words…
1. How long have you been dancing?
I have been dancing for 11 years. One of my first dances I’ve performed was a jazz dance to The Lion Sleeps Tonight. I started out doing the styles pom, jazz, and hip hop and was on a performance team for a while. Then I started competing.
2. What is your favorite dance that you have performed?
I have multiple dances that I have enjoyed doing but one of my favorite dances I have ever performed was a jazz dance called Footloose. This dance was one of my favorites because it was high energy and super fun to perform.
3. Favorite dance memory?
I was competing at nationals 2 years ago and as apart of our costume, we had to wear hats. The hats weren’t able to be pinned to our heads because we had to take them on and off throughout the dance. During apart of the dance I did a leap and the hat fell off of my head and onto my face and I caught it with my nose. I ended up balancing the hat off of my nose for the rest of the number. And who could forget at Midwest Starz last year when we went onstage to compete a contemporary dance and instead of performance music, we all hear our practice music and Vanessa’s voice through the speakers “Hear No, See No, Speak No, with counts…” (from Miss Vanessa – that music issue is not one of my favorite memories! I hate hearing my voice on recordings and was MORTIFIED when that happened… maybe that’s why the dancers thought it was so funny!)
4. Favorite genre of dance?
My favorite style of dance is lyrical. I took my first ever lyrical class about 5 years ago and I have loved doing it ever since.
5. Finish this sentence: I love dancing because…
I can be me and express my emotions and feelings through movement. It pushes me to be the best I can be. I found my love for dance at a young age and it’s been growing ever since.
6. What are you looking forward to the most in finishing out your senior year in dance?
Dancing with all my friends, traveling to competitions, and making memories that will last forever. I am also looking forward to competing both of my solos this year, and also my group dances!
7. Plans after High School?
I plan on going to Kirkwood. I will be going into the Diagnostic Assistant (radiologic technology) program. (from Miss Vanessa – since Kylie submitted these answers earlier this year, she’s also auditioned for and got in to the Kirkwood Dance Team!)
8. Advice for younger dancers?
Be confident, don’t ever give up, always smile, and make sure you have lots of fun!!