Catherine Rea explains, in her words, why her daughter (Brooklyn Cate) is part of Just Dance!, a competition dance team based at Charleston Dance Center.
We’re just finishing our first year as a member of Just Dance! and Brooklyn Cate has already declared she wants to do Just Dance! every year!
Learn more about Just Dance! auditions.
Brooklyn Cate auditioned a month before her fifth birthday. I knew she was young, but figured if she didn’t make the team it was no big deal. I wanted her to have the experience of auditioning. I knew as far as experience went she didn’t have much, but she went in and gave it everything she had and made the mini mini team.
I didn’t grow up dancing, so I went into this not knowing very much about the world of dance. So needless to say I’ve learned many things along the way. Things as simple as what “transition tights” are. I seriously went into this with no dance knowledge whatsoever. I have so much respect for dancers and the amount of hard work they put into their dancing.
As a mini mini, Brooklyn Cate dances twice a week (last year, she danced once a week) and she performed “Saving the Day” at competitions in Charlotte and Jacksonville.
Just Dance! does a wonderful job in making sure the girls are introduced with the right amount of classes and practice. She has learned so much this year. It’s amazing what a difference a year on team makes.
Challenges We’ve Faced
The biggest challenge I have been faced with has been her feet growing so fast this year. I’ve been through so many pairs of shoes. She’s got to stop growing soon!
Also, I was concerned at first because she was the youngest member of the team. As soon as I saw how loving and how kind her teammates treated her and each other, my concerns were gone. They encourage one another. They get excited when another team member does well. She and two other mini mini team members went to an optional convention in April and when Brooklyn Cate was called up on stage, her teammates showed more excitement than she did.
What We Love
The way Brooklyn Cate talks about Mrs. Vanessa and Mrs. Lindsey melts my heart. She just loves her dance teachers. We will be riding in the car and she will say things like “oh, I’ve got to tell Mrs. Vanessa about that!” I love that she has other positive adult role models in her life that she trusts and loves.
The most important change I’ve seen is how much Just Dance has impacted my Brooklyn Cate’s life. She went from a very shy and quiet girl to one with confidence and even a little sass. With three brothers at home she needed something to call her own. This has been amazing for her.