After attending a Bravettes practice and then five hours of dance class, freshman Kaitlyn Hanson comes home and begins working on homework and studying to prepare for the next school day.
Hanson’s mom, Rebecca Hanson, signed her up for dance classes at two years old. Now, 12 and a half years later she continues dancing. Two years ago, she transferred to Danz Force Xtreme from Gotta Dance.
“It’s a welcoming studio. It’s only my second year, but my teachers want nothing but the best for me,” K. Hanson said. “When I am dancing, I sometimes feel like I don’t look the best, so it is great to have a community of support that don’t judge you when you look dumb.”
Once K. Hanson started high school, she joined Bravettes. Bravettes originally sparked K. Hanson’s interest since she wanted to join a high school club, and as a dancer, she said Bravettes suited her well to continue her dancing career.
“Bravettes is so much fun because even though we come from different studios, we all come together and it is like dancing with your best friends,” K. Hanson said. “Bravettes is a bit easier to manage because it is directly after school, but the only compromise I make is not getting to participate in other [after school] clubs.”
Between dance and school, R. Hanson transports her daughter throughout all of her activities and experiences early days and late nights.
“I’m just amazed at what she can do,” R. Hanson said. “It’s so incredible to watch your child being so capable of having five hours of dance after a full day of school, especially after I come from a long day at work.”
While Hanson hopes to pursue dance in the future, her long term goal includes attending law school. Currently enrolled in the law magnet, Hanson loves the speech and debate class freshmen take. She wants to go to Harvard law school and become a criminal prosecutor. To achieve this goal, Hanson manages an all honors and AP schedule and mantains a 4.0 GPA.
“It’s very hard and I have to manage my time very well and stay up late,” K. Hanson said. “I wish I had more time but it’s worth it to me because I love dancing so much. I’d feel pointless without it.”