Charissa Profile

Emma Curry

Professor Cryer

Composition 2

15 September 2018

Community of Dance

Charissa Dodd did not have any particular interest in dance when she began taking classes at the age of three. Her mother tried putting her in a multitude of activities before settling on dance. “I remember doing basketball, hated that. I did softball, hated it… I remember being in soccer and they always chose me as the goalie” she recalls, laughing. Charissa did not take to dance immediately either, but she realized over time that she loved to perform. As she got older she became very involved in the dance community, both in studio dance, and as a member of the dance team at her school. The dance community has given Charissa friendship and has provided her with an outlet and aspirations for the future.

Studio dance and dance team are both forms of competitive dance. Studio dance takes place in a privately-owned space where students practice different styles of dance and often preform at competitions. Dance teams, usually school sponsored groups, also compete, but routinely preform at school functions and sporting events as well. Both are highly competitive and require an intense level of skill and mental focus.

Charissa’s experience with the dance community began in studio dance, but she was a member of her school’s dance team as well. Both have served as amazing ways to connect and make friends. “At first, going in I was like woah this is really scary, I don’t know these girls” Dodd recalls, talking about when she joined her current studio. “but then once you get into it and you dance with them like every night of the week, you know them all and you’re all friends, and hang out outside of dance.” Dodd also explains how the dance communities can turn total strangers into friends, whether that be at competitions or out in the world: “for example if I were to meet someone from another state, I could connect with them more personally than a non-dancer because we shared common interests.”

Dodd was very successful in her dance team career. She was voted captain both her junior and senior year of high school, a title that she had her sights on from the moment she joined. Choosing captain is a rigorous process that involves the approval of her coaches and her peers. “You have to write a two-page paper to apply explaining why you would be a good leader and what you would do in certain situations” Dodd recalls. Her role as caption perfectly illustrated how committed she is to her dance community and how devoted she was to the betterment of her team.

Despite her accomplishments, Dodd did have a short stint of stage fright during her transition from middle school to high school. “For so long we really only preformed for our parents and stuff, suddenly I was preforming for my peers and people would come up to me afterwards and tell me I did well, and I’d just be like ‘what you were watching me?’” Dodd laughs. This did not last long, however, with a lot of practice and the encouragement of upperclassmen Dodd conquered her nerves. She now considers preforming for people to be one of her favorite parts of dance.

Charissa found herself most thankful for her dance community in high school when she sustained a serious injury. Dodd was practicing a jump at dance team rehearsal after school and landed wrong on her left foot, causing her to break her fifth metatarsal in half. She was forced to sit out of dance for months. “I really gained a whole new appreciation for my legs and for dance as an outlet, because for months I just had to observed and encourage” she explains. Understandably, jumping back into dance after being out for so long was a challenge. Dodd explains that her peers were constantly checking in with her to see if she needed any extra help reacclimating and learning the routines. “They were always asking me if I needed anything and offering to spend extra time helping me learn the routines” Dodd recalls. The entire experience, while extremely challenging made her appreciate dance, and the dance community, more than ever before.

Charissa hopes to continue to be an active member of the dance community for years to come. She continues to be active in studio dance and is currently a member of the JCCC Golden Girls. “It’s a lot of fun so far, I like all the girls” Dodd remarks. Dodd also has hopes to attend a four-year university and is hoping to try out for the dance team there as well. Past school Dodd says that she would love to be a professional cheerleader for the NBA or NFL, although she’s not sure that it’s in the cards. The one thing that she is sure of is that she wants to continue to be a part of this loving community.