The Gift of Gabby, Part 1

If you’ve been involved with a competitive dance team long enough, you’ve seen kids that were once eager and enthusiastic begin to question whether to continue with the activity they once loved so much.  As they approach the middle/high school years, the mental and physical exhaustion from long days and late nights in the studio might begin to take a toll.  Other factors can pull dancers away from their schools as well (family circumstances, the desire for a social life, etc.). But most recognize that, once they’re “out,” it’s very difficult to get back “in.” For one thing, the lack of intense training (for any period of time) is a tough obstacle to overcome.  Also, there might be uncertainty as to whether the studio will allow the dancer to return to the flock (assuming no bridges were burned).  Regardless, the decision to leave their second family is seldom one that is taken lightly.

After taking a break from company, Gabrielle has decided to return to her studio for her senior year.  I remember her from our early days with the team; from the very first time I saw her, I was struck by how poised, graceful, and confident she came across on stage.  Truth be told, she was one of my girls’ favorites since the beginning, and they were absolutely over the moon when they heard the news that she was coming back to the team!  I was intrigued by her decision to return; I knew that she HAD to be aware of how hard she would need to work to get back into the game, and was impressed that she committed to following through with it.  And I thought that perhaps some dance moms (and dancers) would be interested in her story, as their families might be in the midst of a similar circumstance.  She graciously agreed to answer some questions for me, and her heartfelt, genuine responses offer tremendous insight into her experience (I’ll admit, I teared up in a couple of places).  

Thank you so much to Gabby for taking the time to share her story with us!

When did you start dancing, and at what age did you start competing?

I started dancing when I was two years old. I started to compete when I was very young at age 7 at a local studio before I transferred over to my current school. I changed studios because I wanted to be on a competitive team, and my other studio competed (but not at the same level).  

What is your favorite memory from your time on the competition team?

My favorite memory from my time on the competition team would definitely be going to NYCDA nationals by myself. I remember the time I was sitting in the audience waiting to see if my name would be called as a “Finalist” during the audition process. I was so anxious. Then all of a sudden my name was called and I went running onto the stage. It was one of the most exciting moments because I have been trying to become a “finalist” ever since freshman year. I even traveled to Georgia the previous year to try and win as a finalist, but it never happened. And then I finally got my chance. When I went to NYCDA I made friendships that will last a lifetime. Not only was the girl who was sitting next to me at the meet and greet an amazing dancer, but she happened to live in New Jersey AND live only an hour or so away! I made friends with her, along with many people from her studio, and even people from out of the state. To this day, we still talk and hang out every so often. She even came to Starpower nationals two years ago before I took some time off from company to watch me dance. I’ll never forget all the memories and friendships we made together.  It was one of the greatest experiences of my life as a dancer. 

What made you decide to take a break from competitive dance?

I’ve always been part of an athletic family. My brother played many sports. He played football, basketball, and golf. I always wanted to be a part of school sports or clubs. Unfortunately being on my school’s competitive dance team meant I couldn’t do both. At that point in my life during freshman year of high school, I didn’t know whether I wanted to stick with dance or do sports. It got to the point where the thought of doing sports never left my head and dance was starting to not be enjoyable for me anymore. I would go to school from 7:10am-1:05pm, then to track from 2:00pm-4:30pm, and then to dance from 5:00pm-10:00pm. My dinner consisted of eating five bites of chicken out of a thermos on the five minute drive from my high school to my dance studio everyday. I was beginning to get burnt out and my grades even started to suffer due to the lack of study time. I told myself maybe I need to find out for myself what I want to do in high school for the next two years before I go to college and give myself a year to gather myself. I ended up taking two years off from the competition team, but continued to take class there a few times a week. I continued to do indoor and outdoor track for these two years as well as tried out the gymnastics team.  During those two years I would visit my brother who attends Clemson University continuously and I fell in love with the college itself. There is a dance team that is called the “Rally Cats.” They do pom mostly during football season down on the field, and then during basketball season they dance and do some pom at the games. I then began to fall in love with the dance team, which at the time was weird because I still wasn’t on the competition team. Throughout these two years I also was more bored than usual. Yes, I would study a lot, but there was only so much studying I could do. I had a lot of time on my hands, which led me to my final decision mid junior year. The moment I was sitting on the side of the stage at the recital in June watching all my friends dance on stage, I realized this is my home. This is what I love to do and what I want to continue to do. After all my back and forth trials and decisions, I eventually realized I hate watching all my best friends dance on that stage without me. Sometimes you need to do other things to figure out what your passion is which is exactly what I did. I tried new things just to be brought right back to what I love to do most. Through all the rough patches within the last 3 years, dance was, and will continue to be my passion. I can’t wait to see what my senior year has in store for me. 

Keep reading this interview here: The Gift of Gabby, Part 2!