Dega Goes Pro!
Cheerleading and dance have been been a passion for me since the age of 6. My extra curricular activities consisted of me spending numerous, and countless hours in the dance studio stretching, practicing, having private lessons, and learning from coaches and choreographers. The majority of my weekends persisted of traveling to regional and national cheerleading and dance competitions to showcase all of the training and technique that I learned. Being a competitive cheerleader and dancer, meant a lot of sacrifice for the majority of events happening in my life, as well as my parents. For example, my education as child was always first priority. There were several times where I would complete homework assignments and projects in hotels or in the car traveling out of state. I am so thankful, grateful, and blessed for supportive parents who wanted the best for me, there are not enough words to describe the endless sacrifices that were made to make sure I had what I needed to be successful. Not only did my parents push me to strive for excellence, I had coaches who encouraged me to always be the best version of myself possible. There were many days and nights where I wanted to completely give up and quit when curriculum or choreography began to get challenging for me. My coaches always sought out to me to never give up on myself. Because of all the hard work that was put into my career, I am able to be where I am today.
Needless to say, the hard work, perseverance, dedication, and humility that was instilled in me has helped shape me into the woman that I am today. These attributes have given me the ability to pursue and achieve many accomplishments in my cheerleading and dance career. At a young age, I always knew that I wanted to dance or cheer professionally. Becoming a member of a professional NFL Cheerleading team, has given me endless opportunities that I will cherish forever. The reason I am in the position I am today, is because of the coaches and mentors that believed in me, and helped me to dream big. Mentorship, and giving back to the community are objectives that I am strongly passionate about. I have a heart of gold, and I am always looking into seeing others reach their goals and become successful. Being a mentor and giving back is what drove me for the basis of this workshop.
I had the opportunity to teach a professional cheerleading and dance clinic to the two dance teams on the campus of Talladega College located in Talladega, Alabama. The president of Talladega College Dr. Billy Hawkins, who is a family friend, was aware and knowledgable of my dance and cheerleading background. Dr. Hawkins Invited me to hold a workshop and professional dance team prep class to members of the dance teams on campus. The two dance teams consist of the Dega Diamonds, they are the dancers who perform with the band, as well as the Show-stopping Crimsonettes, who perform at all home basketball games. Dr. Hawkins as well as the dance team coach, Shannon Darby were very adamant about me mentoring the young ladies and inspiring them to be their best. Coach Darby expressed how excited the young ladies were to learn from me. That definitely boosted my confidence and made me feel that I was getting ready to make a difference in someones life. My main objectives for the workshop
included:
Tips and Tricks for cheerleading and dance team auditions
How to stand out in front of judges at auditions
Health tips on eating healthy and exercising
Cheerleading and dance Technique, across the floor work
Learn innovative, challenging choreography
Power hour session- Motivate, inspire, encourage, and uplift the young ladies. Setting goals and creating great habits
My workshop took place on Saturday March 9th, 2019 on the Campus of Talladega College from 9:00 am until 4:00 pm. The workshop was located in the student center near the gym. Each dance team had members from each team that ranged from freshman to seniors. The following is a schedule of the workshop.
9:00 AM-10:00 AM- Registration for participants
10:00 AM- 12:00 PM- Introduction of myself, Power Hour and goal setting, Newspaper interview, learning of choreography for showcase.
12:00 PM- 1:30 PM- Lunch and refresh for photoshoot
1:30 PM- 2:00 PM- Photoshoot with dance teams on campus
2:30 PM- 2:45 PM- Review of choreography and formations for showcase
3:00 PM- 3:45 PM- Showcase of Routines to family and friends
3:45 PM- 4:00 PM - Workshop wrap-up, and final remarks
The following link is a recap of the amazing workshop that took place. https://vimeo.com/332372046
I am truly grateful for the opportunity that I had to teach at Talladega College. Not only did I have a great time, I was also able to motivate some young ladies with big dreams. This workshop has inspired me to reach out to other cheerleading and dance teams and offer similar workshops for young ladies. It is important to me that I am instilling the attributes that I was taught throughout my life and teaching them to others. My hope is that this workshop has made a major impact on the lives of the young ladies that attended.
