By Elizabeth Contreras
When she was younger, Brooklan Burrell used to sit in dance class and watch the older girls perform. She remembers how confident they looked, how sharp their movements were, and how badly she wanted to move like them.
“I always looked up to the big kids,” she said.
Now, as a junior in her fourth year of pom and hip-hop on the varsity dance team, she’s the dancer the younger girls admire.
Burrell and her teammates are two-time regional champions in pom and hip-hop and placed sixth at NDA Nationals.
In preparation for high-level competitions, the team calls out counts together to mentally lock in. The team also has a backstage tradition of standing in a circle, placing their right foot in, and sharing something inspirational. A reminder that their strength comes from unity.
What she enjoys most about being part of the dance team is the supportive culture that surrounds it.
“Everyone inside and outside the sport is so supportive,” Burrell said.
She said when it comes down to it, though, the biggest supporter has always been her mom.
“She has been to every competition, even the ones halfway across the country,” she said.
Having a strong bond with her team and a devoted mom has made the long hours and demanding training easier to face.
Burrell said the most challenging part of dance isn’t the performance, it’s the training. Summers are filled with cardio and conditioning, and the work continues outside of scheduled practices.
“We train inside and outside of practice,” she said. “It’s a lot.”
During the toughest workouts, she stays focused by reminding herself that every rep will pay off when it’s time to compete.
As a junior on varsity, her goals are centered on improving her technique and sharpening her skills while helping her team meet the high expectations they set for themselves each season.
After high school, Burrell plans to further her education and study political science. Her long-term goal is a future in national leadership, even the presidency.
If her journey so far is any indication, she’ll meet those goals with the same discipline and consistency she shows in dance.
