From two-steps to fouettes, Mikayla Harris ‘18 has done it all. The countless years of ballet classes and showcases as well as dance camps have made her a truly extraordinary dancer. But what sets her apart from others is her tale of highs and lows throughout life and her dance career.
“I started getting into dance more after my parents divorced because dancing was my way to cope. I didn’t have to worry about anything. Dance let me escape and forget about the rest of my life,” Harris said. “It gives me a place to go when I don’t really have anywhere else. It’s a sport, but it’s so much more. You have to want it and you have to make it a part of your lifestyle.”
Harris began dancing at the tender age of two when her older sister began taking classes. Though her sister stopped dancing three years later, Harris was in way too deep to give up on her dream.
“I was the little sister who followed her big sister everywhere,” Harris said.
Since the start of her dance career, Harris has taken classes in and performed styles including jazz, ballet, hip-hop, lyrical, contemporary, novelty, musical theatre, and ballroom. However, her repertoire does not end there. Harris teaches dance classes to girls between the ages of 5 and 10.
“I find teaching extremely rewarding. I teach a younger team and they are adorable. I love seeing them on stage and I’m incredibly proud of them,” Harris said.
Dance has become a huge part of Harris’s life and it continues to grow its influence over her actions. Being a little girl and a dancer is tough, but being a growing teenager and a dancer is nearly impossible.
“ You have to have discipline when you’re a dancer. You have to know what to eat, when to sleep, when to stretch, and when you have class. You have to be able to balance life and dance,” Harris said. “When I was younger, we weren’t allowed to eat sugar because it made us too hyper when we danced. It was difficult at times, but it made us better dancers.”
Balancing school and dance is a problem that plagues Harris daily. While she feels that her academics are important, dance is where her heart and soul truly lie.
“I have time during my classes to do my work so I normally have a lot of time for dance, but because I put dance before school almost all the time, I find school difficult,” Harris said. “My parents always said school came first, but to me, dance always came first. It’s a part of me.”
Just like any other dancer, Harris occasionally loses her inspiration to continue dancing because it requires immense commitment.
“Every dancer goes through phases. You definitely have those times when you don’t have any time to dance or it becomes a burden,” Harris said. “You have to make sacrifices. Sometimes dance takes over your whole life, but I just remember my dream and keep pushing on.”
Inspiration is an important prerequisite to dance especially because dance involves both the body and the mind. While inspiration can be drawn from many different places, Harris prefers to draw hers from other dancers.
“If I’m having a bad day then I watch professional dancers and I remember how much I want to be them. I also love watching my students and getting to be a part of their lives,” Harris said.
Harris is currently on the JV Dance Team, Warrior Pride. Warrior Pride boasts nearly 40 members and performs year-round. Being on Warrior Pride is a distinctly different experience than that of dancing outside of school.
“Pride is nothing like where I’m from. They’re more accepting and you don’t have to be as dedicated. I have more time to focus on school and other things. Pride means the world to me and they’re all my family,” Harris said.
When your life practically revolves around dance, it’s hard to even imagine doing something else. To Harris, dance means the world and it encompasses her entire life. Harris has plans to continue dancing after high school and hopefully even professionally.
“I’ve been told that I’m tall enough to play volleyball or basketball but I have zero coordination in anything other than dance,” Harris said. “I want to go to college and double major in forensic science and dance and then work with a dance company wherever I end up.”
Harris’s advice to aspiring dancers is to not be afraid to try new things and just go for it.
“You might fall, actually you probably will fall on your face but you can never just sit down and refuse to try something in fear of looking dumb or failing,” Harris said.
While Harris’s story is a long and hard yet inspiring one, she feels that starting to dance was one of the best decisions of her life. It has become a huge part of who she is and who she strives to be. Despite being only a freshman, Harris has truly begun to make her mark on the rest of the world.
