Kayla French makes University of Cincinnati dance team

On April 1st Kayla French took her first step in pursuing her dreams; she tried out and made the University of Cincinnati’s dance team. This program consists of cheering on the sidelines and dancing at halftime for men's football games. During winter season, French will also dance for men's and women's basketball games.

Additionally, the University of Cincinnati competes at Nationals each January in Orlando, Florida. This year Cincinnati placed 2nd in pom and 3rd place in hiphop. From scoring well at nationals Cincinnati was picked to represent team USA at Worlds. The National Dance Teams are comprised of the most talented dance teams in America.

The audition process began on Friday, April 1st at 6:00pm. French learned three 45 second dances in pom, hip-hop, and jazz. After learning the routines the team went over basic technique and tricks necessary for the dance. The practice ended on Friday at 10:00pm. The next day interviews began at 8:00am and there was an open practice until 12:00. When 1:00p.m came, the actual audition started. French performed all three dances and basic skills in groups of four in front of judges and coaches.

French has been dancing at Lisa’s School of Dance since she was 3 years old. French expressed her love for her dance studio she said, “For the past 15 years the studio has become my second home. However, I spend more time at the studio than I do my real home because of the amount of time that I put into dance.”

Most of French’s greatest memories growing up have been dance related. French said, “My greatest memory while dancing has to be my 2015 recital. This was the most memorable night of my life. I have been dancing with upperclassmen my entire dance career. As we had our last performance together before they graduated I knew I had to enjoy the moment. It was one of the greatest moments of dance I have had. Those girls were not just my friends, they were my sisters. The 2015 recital will definitely be the greatest memory to remember because of all the laughs and tears that we shared.”

French explained that her journey to the “next level” has not been easy, but she has persevered with hard work and determination. “I am not going to lie, the journey is arduous and exhausting. I have pushed through dozens of injuries and countless amounts of sleepless nights to get where I am today. If I could retell my story, I would. However, to keep it short, two words that describe how to make it to the “next level” is to work hard. If I could give any athlete advice it would be believe in your abilities and never give up. If one keeps a positive attitude and works hard at what they do, dreams will come true,” said French.

One motivational saying that has kept French going through stressful days is, “If you want it more than you breathe, then you will be successful.”