The HBCU Dance Journey: Auditions, Team Life & Becoming a Coach | Ep 6

What does it really take to make an HBCU dance team—and what happens after you make it?

In this episode of Major Business Podcast, Sydney shares her full journey through HBCU dance life—from preparing for auditions, to the reality of being on the team, to transitioning into a dance educator and high school coach.

If you’re an aspiring HBCU dancer, current team member, or coach guiding the next generation, this episode gives you the insight you didn’t know you needed.

🔥 In this episode, we cover:

How to prepare for HBCU dance team auditions
Key advice from her viral “10 Tips to Make Your Dream HBCU Dance Team”
The truth about life on an HBCU dance team
Balancing passion, discipline, and performance at a high level
Knowing when to pursue coaching vs. professional dance
How former coaches shape the leader you become

This is more than just making the team—this is about understanding the full journey.

Transcript

SPEAKER_02 0:00

Here are some tips for the girls who just need a little help. And audition season comes up very quickly because it's not just about dance when you make a team, it's about how you are as a person. And confidence can be taught through dance. Presentation.

SPEAKER_00 0:13

Whether and whether they can dance or not, we will never know because I'm not interested now.

SPEAKER_02 0:18

You know, be a sponge, be able to be teachable, um, especially TBS and KKSI.

SPEAKER_00 0:23

Um, oftentimes I'm watching them type emails, and I'm thinking, and who are you gonna send that to? Right, because the body is in the subject, and I'm confused. Like we delete. Welcome to the Major Business Podcast where we talk all things auxiliary dance from strategy structure, leadership, performance, and training. Um, today we have a special guest, but before we introduce her, I'm your host for Sean Lee. And we're gonna go ahead and uh give a few words about her, and then we'll bring her on into the room. So she is a proud New Jersey native with extensive training in a wide range of dance styles, including ballet, African, lyrical, and more. In 2019, she became a member of the Blue and Gold Marching Machine, performing as part of the Golden Delight Auxiliary at the esteemed North Carolina AT State University. Her passion for music and service led her to be initiated into the Theta Zeta chapter of Tall Beta Sigma National Honorary Band Sorority Incorporated in the spring of 2020. After earning her degree in kinesiology, she has dedicated herself to the next generation of dancers as a full-time high school dance teacher and studio instructor. With a strong foundation in both performance and pedagogy, she continues to inspire young artists through her creativity, discipline, and commitment to excellence. Without further ado, I introduce you to Miss Sydney Clark. Hello. Hi, thank you so much for having me. Yes, thank you for being a part. So, um, to get started, I know that you're from New Jersey. So, how did your journey lead you to AT?

SPEAKER_02 2:20

Um, yes, I am a Jersey girl down. I currently live in the South, and this is still a culture shock for me. Um, so a lot of people do wonder how I ended up at North Carolina AT. Um, in 2017, my mom got me tickets to Honda Battle of the Bands, which was a big battle in Atlanta at Mercedes Band Stadium. And I was sitting in the audience and I saw AT perform and I saw Golden Delight, and I turned to my mom and I'm like, that's gonna be me. I'm gonna audition, I'm gonna make it with my best friend, um, because she dances too, and I'm gonna go to AT. We're gonna room together. She's like, Are you sure? And I'm like, Yes, like this is my dream. And that's what happened. Um, so I immediately fell in love with the school I visited, and it stood out to me. I visited other schools as well. Um, and nothing was like AT, nothing was like the campus, the vibe, the pride. Um, and that was undeniable. So the minute I got in and I made the team, I knew I made the right choice.

SPEAKER_00 3:20

Awesome! Excellent story. I love that. All right, so I do want to get right to business. Um, so I will say I first came across your page or or virtually met you when you were doing the reels about preparing the girls for uh auditions, okay?

SPEAKER_02 3:40

10 things you should know if you want to make your dream HBCU dance team.

SPEAKER_00 3:46

What what like prompted you to do that? Like, did you see things going wrong? Did you just feel like, oh, these are just the things that I wish I knew? How did how did it come about?

SPEAKER_02 3:58

So that's honestly a great question. I feel like I train um a wide variety of girls, girls who have a lot of different backgrounds. Um, and I'm a studio dancer, so my background did not include majorette style, HBCU style, anything. And it was, I wish I had more of a navigation when I was deciding on if I wanted to dance or not in college. Um, and it's not as accessible, especially to um our dancers up north. Um, we don't train in majorette style or HBCU style heavy. Um, so videos like that could, you know, help anybody, whether it's me dancing or whether it was just me speaking. So I'm like, you know what? Here are some tips for the girls who just need need a little help. And audition season comes up very quickly. Um, so it it just came to my head, and I'm like, let me just let me just make this video. And I made it, and I'm so glad it reached as many um dancers as it did because people are still reaching out to me asking for tips and stuff, but uh also letting me know that their video really did help them. Um so why not?

SPEAKER_00 5:08

You know, just putting the information out there. Yes, so I want to talk about a few things that you mentioned in the video because it was all so much great information. Okay, so you said that um you for me the keyword was dream team, okay? I think a lot of girls live in delusion, right? They do have dream teams, but sometimes the dream team isn't it, it does not always match up to what the skill set says, right? Um, or they don't prepare properly for said dream team. So I did really love how you said that. So I just I was like, that's what got me hooked. I was like, dream team, what else was she about to say? Um, but you did mention something about being organized, and so like what how did you prepare in terms of getting organized or maintaining being organized while being a part of the team?

SPEAKER_02 6:08

Okay, so before I made the team, a big shout out to my mom. My mom is an educator, she's now a principal, she's been an educator my whole life. So she is organized, like everything has a spreadsheet, everything has a place. So she really played a role in when I was auditioning for the team because at the time, Golden Delight, you had to bring um like paper stuff. So you had to bring a headshot, but now I don't I think everything is kind of just virtually like through a portal. Um, but we had to basically like have a binder with all our stuff. Um, and you know, just reading through instructions, making sure you have everything for audition. So my mom was really like my example on how to be organized, especially transitioning into college and being so far away from my family. Um, so after I made the team, I kind of kept those same attributes. So I have a planner for everything. I have a hard planner that I write in. I have the um a calendar on my phone, on my computer, um, a whiteboard, especially since I'm a teacher. So I live like three different lives. Um, I'm like an educator during the week, and then I still teach dance on the side and I travel, and then I'm 24, so I'm outside having fun and doing what 24-year-olds need to do. Um, so it's a lot going on, but definitely my planner. Um, while in undergrad, um, I like to write a lot. So I have to-do lists. Every day I have a to-do list, and I still do that now, so I make sure I get stuff done, use reminders, um, taking initiative to just get ahead on my work. Um, and that really helps me a lot because band is insanely um tiring. Tiring.

SPEAKER_00 7:50

So it's like time consuming.

SPEAKER_02 7:52

Yes. Right. When you're tired, um, you don't really feel like doing your work. So I took the opportunity to get stuff done while I had the time, and that helped me as well. And then once I joined um my chapter, um, that kind of helped me too because you have to keep a certain GPA. Even while you're on Gunda Light, you have to keep a certain GPA. So having that little fire under my butt really helped me stay organized and stay on top of my work.

SPEAKER_00 8:16

Yeah, I used to really take advantage of like those trips on the bus. And I couldn't wait to everybody shut up and go to sleep. So I can just turn my little light on and get to work. Yes, is that life is why, y'all. You also mentioned about connecting and networking. Now, a lot of girls, now, me from my years of coaching high school and also teaching high school girls, um, they don't usually realize that they are connecting and networking when they're going places, you know, we would go to conventions or stuff like that. But like, how can they intentionally, you know, if you have any advice on how they can intentionally like make connections and network when they're going to these classes and things that you suggested?

SPEAKER_02 9:04

Um, there's a few ways I would say. So, one, I would say always be your best self. That's the best way to network. Um, like, for example, you saw my video. That was my best self, that was my best product. I posted on Instagram, now we're here. So if you show up to a class and you show your best self, the choreographer or the person that's already on that team is gonna want to work with you because you're like, okay, she's she's ready. She she has the looks, she can dance, she can speak. You're showing your best self, even if you're not directly saying, Hey, I want to network you because you're on da-da-da-da-da. Even if you're just making small talk and saying where you're from, what you've been doing growing up, that's networking as well. So I feel like sometimes people overthink it. People like to see the genuine side of people because it's not just about dance when you make a team, it's about how you are as a person. Nobody's gonna want a person on the team that's just mean, can't hold a conversation, can't do an interview or anything like that. Um, so I think that's one way. Just being yourself and putting yourself out there, speaking when you enter a room, that can be a small thing that helps you stand out compared to other people. Um, I would also say book a private. That's the best way to network because you have that one-on-one experience with somebody, um, and it can give you more um insight into a team. Um, they can, you know, just have more one-on-one experiences that's gonna help you make a team, but also connect because nine times out of ten, the people who you're booking a private with was probably a captain of the team or very close with the coach of that team. Um, so that's a direct connection to, you know, getting you kind of in the door or, you know, having the coach see your face prior to auditions so that when they get there, they're already they already had their eye on you. Um, I would also say build your social media. I tell my dance team, post, post right now, good or bad, post what you're doing because you never know who's going to see that video. Um, so you that's another way to network. They can be like, oh my God, I've been watching you since high school. I can't wait till you try to audition for the team. You already, you've been, you're already networking, and we on two different sides of the country. So you never know um who is watching and who can have a conversation around you, even when you're not in the room. Um, the last thing I would say about networking is to have fun with it. Um, I would say the best example is um me, Keshaya, and Kalia. We're all from three different teams, but now we're hosting classes together. We build a bond and a sisterhood. Um, and we just all happen to be topic sigma, but we all marched in three different bands in three different places. Kishaya, Marcia Jackson State. I march at AT, Kalia is marching at um Alabama State. So we networked with each other to build this um class that has really like took off. We just came back from Chicago, and while we were there, we were networking with other studios that came to our class, and they want us to come back and teach and stuff like that. So just by us connecting and bringing our talent somewhere else, we're networking with other people, but we're still having fun. Um, we love to dance, it's nothing new to us, and we get to have a good time with each other. So, you know, it's like business and pleasure at the same time, and it's benefiting a lot of people.

SPEAKER_00 12:28

So, now did y'all meet at like a TBS convention or something?

SPEAKER_02 12:32

No, so Keishaya and Kalia had already kind of knew each other um because I graduated AT in December 23. They both graduated after me. Khalia's about to graduate in May, and Keishaya graduated, I think, spring of 23. So they already knew each other. And I had texted Keishaya, I think, to just come and have her host something at the studio I teach at here. And she's like, I'm like, maybe we have one more person. She's like, what about Kalia? And I'm like, Kalia, long story short, Kalia ends up living in Greensboro already, like her family lives here, and I'm like, girl, what? Like, of course I didn't know that because she was, you know, attending Alabama State, but this is home for her. So we connected through there. We taught our first class together, and then after that, it's like we just we just became close. Um, and we're all from different parts of the country. I'm from Jersey, Kalia's from Chicago, uh, Kishaya is originally from Memphis, so it's like three different people that kind of came together. Um, but it's really fun. I love our bond, and we're all learning from each other. Um Kishaya teaches me how to book and um Kalia teach me how to, you know, prance like a stinget. Like, so it's just really fun um and relaxing after you're on a team for so long doing one style. Um, so I really I can't wait till our next class. I can't wait to see them again.

SPEAKER_00 14:03

Oh, that's such a fun story. All right, so you also talked about being a studio girl and converting from studio girl to the field. Now, I was with you on that when I said, oh, that was me. Now I did dance in high school, but I have seen so many times where girls that come from a studio, like, yeah, I want to go, you know, audition because all along they wanted to do, you know, HBCU dance style or auxiliary dance or you know, majorette or whatever whatever you want to call it. They have they always want to do that, but depending on how competitive your studio is, you don't have the opportunity to do that because most times you can't do both. Um, you know, says the studio owner or the parent, um, whomever, because sometimes it's you know the fees are high on both sides. So you were talking about, you know, preparing to be outside. Did you know in high school? Or were you straight from the studio to high school?

SPEAKER_02 15:09

Okay I danced in high school. But Jersey is a little different. Like, we don't do it's not a it's a it's like a it's it's mimicking HBCU, but when I was in high school, 2019, well I graduated 2019, um, so 2019, so like basically 15 to 19, uh it was non-giving HBCU. It was just it was just it was something close to it, but it wasn't giving that. So I wasn't prepared for the sex appeal aspect of HBCU. I will say that technique-wise, oh, I had that in the bag. Like I can turn, I can give you a jump, I can learn choreography quick. But when it came to the actual swag of HBCU dance, I did not have that really until my junior year on the team, if I'm being honest. Until my junior year on Going Delight, I felt like I didn't like actually execute the real style of it. Um, but the other shock to me was the weather. Like it gets hot in Jersey, but like not like not like North Carolina. Not like North Carolina. And they call my coach, um, my coach, she calls me chocolate jersey because I used to get so dark during band camp and I'm from Jersey, and I used to be out there just chocolate, dark. I used to have to have two different shades of makeup for for the seasons because I was literally like so tan, it was hot, and then the other shock is like, no, this is not just dance, this is band. And if you know band, you know you're gonna work out excessively. So I'm like, I'm not just here dancing, we're not gonna go to the studio. Like, we're where's the AC? Like, it was just insane to me. Um, but it truly is a once-in-a-lifetime experience. Um, and it was also shocking to me the culture of the South. Everybody's very um nice, and I'm not saying people from Jersey are mean, but it was a yes ma'am, no ma'am, yester, yeah, no, sir type of situation. And I was not accustomed to that. Um, so that was a little crazy for me because Ben has a certain discipline um that you have to, you know, that's expected. So that took a little getting used to as well. Um, also, everything happened very fast in Jersey. We graduate um towards the end of June. So my summer kind of went really fast. I had a band camp. I had to, I had to come here for something going to like the night of my graduation. I graduated from high school. I went to like this little graduation party, and that night we got on the road and came to North Carolina. So everything happened really fast. I had a three-week band camp my first year, and it was just, I was like, whoa, like this is a lot, this is a lot. Um, but I just I don't know. I I was like, all right, let's just do it. And then that same year I crossed TBS. So I did I had done everything my freshman year, um, which I'm glad because the year right after that, well, that spring was COVID. So it was a lot going on, but yeah, it was a very big culture shock. And to my studio girly, it's like, get outside right now, get in the field right now. Because dancing on grass and dancing on Marley is two different ball games.

SPEAKER_00 18:35

Yeah, yeah. It is completely. I mean, and then even like you mentioned, like dancing in, you know, grass versus turf. And you know, like you said, and it's true, even sometimes you want like asphalt or like you know, I mean, cement or something, because sometimes I know in high school that you know you will be dancing. Sometimes it's like they'll draw the field in the parking lot. Yeah, all the lines.

SPEAKER_02 19:03

Because where our practice field is, is also where Tailgate is, which also outside. So if it rains, we cannot see lines. So you're really just out there guessing. And if you never dance on a football field, like I didn't really, you didn't really have to know yard lines. So Dr. Russ out there telling us to get on the yard line. I'm like, what yard line are you talking about? I can't see, it's hot, I'm sweating. It was too much.

SPEAKER_00 19:31

Wow, but then you like so okay. So when COVID happened, did y'all like go home like everybody did and then came back that next season?

SPEAKER_02 19:39

So we went home because that whole thing was a blur for me. It was, and when we came back, there was no football, so um the band was just making, excuse me, just making videos. Um, we did a lot of video concepts. Um, we did like a little mini movie, it was really just videos in practice, and it felt so weird. But then when we came back that next season for football, we had to wear masks still, which was terrible. Dancing in a mask, yeah.

SPEAKER_00 20:07

Cause I saw those videos, so I wasn't sure if that was the 2020 like season or what. That was the 21 season.

SPEAKER_02 20:15

It was 2020 and 2021, I think were both 2020, was probably just videos, not football games, and 2021 was probably football games with masks. Okay, and I just tried so hard that my mask would come off because I just could not breathe. I'm like, it has to fall off, and they try to make them cute, and they were sparkly, they were cute, but I could not breathe at all.

SPEAKER_00 20:41

Yeah, those masks was not it, like, but I mean, at least y'all were outside, so it wasn't as bad. But yeah, yeah, I definitely get it. Sisterhood, and I know you talked about making the connections and things like that, but you also talk about like the one of the benefits of being a part of the team is connecting and like bonding with your sisters. Um, and then you have your band family. Um, so tell us like about some of the your lasting relationships from that on while you were on the team.

SPEAKER_02 21:14

I love my sisters. Um, it was 12 of us, so she's a lot. Um so and we had a a very odd story because half of us came from studio and half of us came from like major, bucking, down, like it was no in-between. Um, but I feel like that also helped us because we had the girls who were like already ready to just hop into the HBCU style and they could like really get it. And then some of us that were like, okay, we can help you with the technique, but we need help with the the HBCU style. So we really worked together really well. Um, we came up with a lot of bomb choreo. I love our field shows from 2019. Um, and I love my sisters, um, a lot of them became nurses. Um, so I'm very, very, very proud of them. Um, one of my sisters, she's about to get married in August, so I get to go to my first wedding, and it's hers. So I'm so happy for her. I also um became going to like with my best friend from home. Um, and she lives about an hour from me, so that kind of helped grow our grow, grow our bond as well because we came from high school together and then we danced together. Um, and then four of us were left by 2023. Um, so we got super close and we were kind of like leading the team because we were the oldest. Um, but that was fun because by then we had marched four years, and by your fourth year, you're like, what's the game? Let's do it. Let's have fun. Let's check out this choreo. Um, my band family, I can't explain how much they helped me through just transitioning from Jersey to here. Um, we truly did lean on each other, especially our first year. Um, we I think we were all like in shock of you know your first experience in band, and we became very close. And I feel like now I can travel anywhere and meet up with somebody from you know my crab year or anything like that. Um, especially TBS and KK Psy. Um, that's like one huge family, and it's always great to meet someone who's a part of the organization. Um, especially now, because I'll go and I'll um do a I just did a camp, well, clinic at a high school in Atlanta. Um, and the band director is KK Psy. And so, you know, we connected Hampton High School. It was in Hampton, Georgia. Uh-huh. Okay. Yes. So I went there and um we had connected already because he's KK Sci and TBS. So we had already connected on Instagram. Um, so it kind of always feels like home wherever I'm at, especially at a band event. I cannot go anywhere without seeing somebody I know and just, you know, bonding over band, over those experiences.

SPEAKER_00 24:04

Right. For me, in terms of like the sisterhood, we still like gather um and whatnot. And it was so crazy because at the combine, because you didn't mention that too, Ebony, Ebony and Harrison are good friends. And I also remember when she posted about you. Actually, she's the one that posted for me to see you in that reel. So I was like, wait, what's who is this? Um, but yeah, so love her. But at her combine for on the 50, um, there were so many but I danced. Well, my first my freshman year danced at bubbling brown for bubbling brown sugar and Morris Brown. Um, this is like you know, before it closed down. Telling my age. But then, but then I was Mr. Warner. Who? Do you know Mr. Warner? Mr. Warner. Yeah, Thomas. Yeah, yeah, yeah. TJ. Yes, yes, yes. I know TJ. Um, so yeah, so that was my my freshman year. I went there, then I transferred to Sacramento State, so I was champagne. So I was Captain Champagne 2022. Um, but it was so much, it's like so many of us that was Champagne in the room. So like there were two that was recruiting for uh Boorhees, and then there was one that's now the new coach at um Talladega, and then uh of course myself, and then who else was there? But it was so it was so many of us, like representing like different schools and whatnot. So it was just super cool to like you know see my people, but outside of like you said, the weddings and the I mean baby showers and then you know, all the things like it's just to like still be connected like to these people. So, yes, I totally get it. But a lot of times, like the girls when you're coaching a high because you coach a high school team, and so you understand when you're trying to get them to understand like the sisterhood of the things, and like, do y'all realize that these girls like the the person standing next to you could still be your friend 10 years, 20 years from now? Like, that's wild.

SPEAKER_02 26:04

Like, my and what I've been saying is like my high school team, they've done a great job at understanding that more recently. Um, I've been stressing sisterhood, I've been stressing accountability. Um, and they I realize that they get it because they'll be like, oh, let me text my sister. And I'm like, you sex your sister, like, I love it because they're checking in on each other, they're making sure, you know, everybody has everything, knows the choreo. Um, and I'm very big on accountability. I know all the girls may not want to go on and dance in college or professionally, but there's bigger things to take away from being on a dance team. Yeah. Um, I I feel like they realize that who they have as their coach, and not even to be cocky, but I have, you know, the experience to lead um younger girls and guide them to where they want to go. And I feel like now they're really starting to take advantage of that and they're starting to build their social media, do more privates, try different styles. Um, so the goal is you know get them where they want to audition to or be able to that they're so good that they can go and audition anywhere.

SPEAKER_00 27:14

Anywhere exactly they're getting in shape for all the things, yes, you never know what opportunities might fall in your lap. But yeah, one of my um best friends, we've been dancing together for at the studio since we were three. She was she's a year older than me, so she was four, I was three, and we still like right now work at the same studio. So I'm like, yeah, yeah, you these people that you're standing next to uh 20 years from now, 30 years from now, y'all can actually still be friends, and that's wild. So, okay, well, I do want to ask you about like your life after HBCU because a lot of girls they leave HBCU and then they like wonder what's next, right? They don't really make a plan. And you're you're a planner girl. So um how did you decide that you would do take the teaching route versus the dancer route? Or are you trying to merge the two?

SPEAKER_02 28:11

I'm trying to merge the two if I'm being honest. Um, but I'm uh I'm realistic, it's not cheap. The lifestyle I like to live is in is not cheap, and I needed to have a job. So right after college, I didn't go to school for education, I went to school for kinesiology, and I had like put my resume out there knowing I was gonna graduate in December, and I had expectations of working in sports science, um, but God had different plans. And the high school that reached out to me, I got the interview, and my the room was full of Aggies, Aggie Pride, and so that they were also full of um previous marchers from the blue and gold march machine, so they had already kind of you know knew who I was and knew my name. And I think I really took advantage of getting my name out there while I was on the team, which helped me get the job at the high school. Um, so once I started that, I'm like, okay, I like teaching, and it's crazy because my whole life I was like, I'll never be a teacher because my mom was a teacher, and I'm like, she coming home, she like, I'm tired of these kids, you know, and I was like, I'm gonna never be a teacher. And look at me now, a teacher. And so she um she kind of inspired me in a way because I already knew a lot about teaching before I got the job, even though I didn't go to school for education. So I was very prepared to leave. Um and it's teaching dance, and I kind of had a little bit more free reign because there was no dance teacher there before I got there. So all the lessons that I do are created by me. Um, the choreography is created by me. I built up the the space. Um, so now we have mirrors, Marley floor, we have more costumes and stuff. It just feels more like a dance space. Um, so that kind of intrigued me. And I was like, okay, I'll stay here for a few years. And now I'm getting my post-bachelorette in dance ed and um at UNCG. So now I'm gonna be like a certified dance teacher and and see where that takes me. Um, but I also do still train. Um, I go and take class, I still teach. Um, and I the goal is to perform on stage. I love to perform, I love to be on stage. Um, I want to perform for artists, I want to tour, I want to do all that. Um, but it can get hard to balance both, um, especially when you have a team. And I dedicate a lot of time to my team and to my girls. Um, and I love that. Um, but now I'm starting to, this is my third year in teaching, so I'm starting to figure out what when to give to my team and when to give to myself. Um, I think my first two years were just survival mode and getting used to adulthood, but now I'm I'm getting used to that and I'm trying to figure out career-wise, okay, girl, you want to dance, let's dance. So I'm trying to get more back into that. And if that means I'm taking HBCU style on to the stage and I'm taking HBCU style, that means hip hop, ballet, whatever it is, I'm training in everything, so I'm prepared for everything. Um, but what I will say to people who are interested in doing education is to one major in education in undergrad. I feel like that would have helped me a lot more, um, especially like logistically, um, being becoming certified, you could do that in undergrad and you could just go straight through. But now I'm back in school while I'm teaching to become certified. So it's a lot to balance. Um, so I would have definitely gone to school for education. Um, I would also say choose your district wisely. Um, you know, because every district is different, every district operates for sure. So just, you know, look into what the district does, look into the other arts programs that they have. Um, I have a great group of other dance teachers in the district that have supported me a lot. Um, and I have teachers and admin that have supported me. Um, so I'm really grateful for that. And I would also say, um, try to think of your lessons beforehand. Um, that's what I did. I got all my lesson plans done before school started um because I know about dance and I'm very I'm very, very interested in history and the history of dance and black music. Um, so a lot of my students can can tell you a lot about black dance and black music um because I I go heavy on that during my lectures. Um so they like they take the information they learn and they put it together with the dance style, and then we do a show, and I let them have creative freedom as well. Um, so that's kind of my life after HBCU. However, I'm still very involved in HBCU by teaching classes. Um, and I go to other studios, I've been to Louisiana, um, I've been to St. Louis at um Diva University with Coriel and just all over the country teaching dance on the side. Um, and then of course connecting with my other dance sisters and seeing where that takes us as well.

SPEAKER_00 33:02

All right, so I have been watching your videos too. You're amazing, okay? I'm like, yes, she does belong on somebody's stage. Absolutely. Um, so would you see do you see yourself moving? Like, would you think that would be a part of the plan if okay?

SPEAKER_02 33:20

Like it about here, and also a big a big role of that is that I'm a city girl. I'm a city girl. The country is not for me, and this wouldn't even be considered the country, but my part of Jersey is very, very close to New York, so I'm used to that fast-paced lifestyle. So I see um still the south in my future, but like more of a city-like area, maybe like Houston, um, so that I can still get the best of both worlds and I can also network within the dance world as well. Wait, you you think it's a dance world in Houston? A little bit, a little bit. I would never move to Atlanta. Why not? It's too many people. It's it's too many people. I mean, we are full.

SPEAKER_00 34:02

I agree.

SPEAKER_02 34:03

It's full, it's over complexity. It's full. I would probably move outside of Atlanta, if anything. I would never probably stay like directly in Atlanta.

SPEAKER_00 34:15

Um yeah, no, I mean, I won't say none of us do. Obviously, some people do. But um, the sub suburb is Hampton. That's you know, you go to the outskirts, set up shop there, and then drive into the city when necessary.

SPEAKER_02 34:33

Right. I don't move anywhere without a full-time job. So if that full-time job is in Atlanta, then I move to Atlanta. If it's in here, then I'll move to the top.

SPEAKER_00 34:40

We got teacher jobs here. We have dance teacher jobs here. Yeah, I might I might be in the a.

SPEAKER_02 34:45

I might be in the air.

SPEAKER_00 34:46

Then you know what? I definitely should also connect you to a guy named Sean. He was the coach, he's now at um like the what is it called, fine arts like chair or director, coordinator something at Tri Cities right now. But he was at Washington High School and he was coaching, but he's you know, also performed with you know Usher and things like that. But he travels, I don't know how he does it. Now I ain't gonna tell you no story, but I connect you to Sean. But he travels and he comes back. I do know obviously, you know, your mom is a principal, you know how this thing works. He I more than likely has a connection, right? He's been there for a long time. He has a connection to the principal, to the administration. So they allow him to do some things, certain things as long as his ducks are, you know, things are in order. Um, but his his kids also win when they go to competition too. So it's like he can he can move around a little bit more because he has that flexibility because of what he he can show and prove too, right? Right. Um, he's already conditioned the program to be what it is. So um, but yeah, I can I can see how that could work. Um, but I mean I've also I mean, of course, then that's subbing, but I know you I know you have to make sure you're financially stable. But um, but but the dance world does thrive here, like dance careers. Yes, oh for sure. I'm not doubting that.

SPEAKER_02 36:08

I but that's a different conversation. Atlanta is just a different conversation. But I I'm open to moving anywhere that has opportunity. I don't think in the long run I would stay in Atlanta, like to build my family and my life, but for a few years to get my career started, I would definitely do that. Um, because I've seen you know the opportunities that have been presented in Atlanta. So I definitely is not definitely not pushed to the side. Um, but yeah, moving here, I never left Greensboro after um college. Um, so now I'm like, okay, I'm getting a little tired of it. A little bit slower for me. Um, so I'm excited to see where my next steps take me.

SPEAKER_00 36:52

Yeah, yeah. You, I mean, you'll you'll learn just where you're supposed to be. So it'll all happen in due time. But definitely, um, I do, I can totally see you as a professional dancer on your little journey. But no, okay. So, what I do want to um discuss, lastly before we go, your um involvement with like different organizations and the professionalism that comes along with being a part of you know, going to work for or with different people, right? Um, what suggestions do you have for say HBCU girls or even coaches because you're also a high school coach. What suggestions do you have for them to make sure they can be in these places and remain in these places if you get what I'm saying? Professional.

SPEAKER_02 37:56

Um, one, I would say I thrive because I have been invested in what I do. I've been dancing since I was two. So people don't really people trust what I'm doing because I'm so deep into dance. I'm getting my another degree in dance. Um, I've been, you know, I've done a lot of different styles. So I sometimes I've come across a lot of coaches, especially when I judge major at competitions that have no dance experience. You're not going to get into the rooms you want to get into because you don't even know where those rooms are because that's not your realm. So I would say definitely like invest in yourself to help your girls. Like, for example, I'll train in JSA style because one of my girls want to wants to make J S. I can't, you know, we can't bring a JSA in every practice, so I gotta get to it so I can so I can get her, you know, help her get there. So um, I think people aren't investing enough time in their team and looking at what the the team's needs. The team's needs come first, and everything in the dark comes to the light. So what you invest in your team is going to come back one way or another. Um, so that's definitely the first thing. The second thing would be to connect on Instagram. People don't use Instagram enough, like follow, comment, um, you know, like be invested in other people's content because the more they see you and see your Instagram name pop up, and you know, just you interacting with their content, they're like, oh, maybe I should reach out to them, maybe I should see if they're interested in this and or coming to this event or stuff like that. Um, and they might might even give your team a discount, you know, if if it comes to that. Um, so that's a big thing. I would also say know what you're talking about. Um a lot of people don't know what they're talking about. Um sadly, you have to say that, but yes. Know what you're talking about. Like it's very surprising to me because I'm usually the youngest in the room, but sometimes I feel like the oldest because of the knowledge I've I've had. Um, I I listen to my coaches very intentionally, and when you're in HBCU band, it's a lot going on. And sometimes for some people, the the chaos of HBCU band throws them off, but they're not actually listening to what's being said. I learned so much from HBCU Band that I now I can I can sit here and have conversations like this because I know what I'm talking about. I'm very knowledgeable. I've I've listened to my coaches and I've observed how they're acting with the team. What are they doing? Like, even down to little things like um we we sit around in a circle and go into like the night before a performance and we put our uniforms in a bag. Now I do that with my girls, but it makes the day so much easier the next day. So not everything is like a you know, like super big, but it helps because now my team, I'm pretty sure I have like one of the most organized high school dance teams in the county simply because I listen to my coaches. And at the time, I feel like some people it doesn't work because at the time when they have to listen to people and they don't want to, they're like, why is this happening? They're confused. Like, why do we have to do this? Why do we have to do this? Why do we no? But are you listening to why we really have to do this? Like now it makes sense. Yeah, um, so people aren't like they're not be a sponge, be able to be teachable. Just because you're power doesn't mean you know everything. I don't know everything, that's why I bring outside people in sometimes so I can learn. Like today, my girls had a makeup class and I learned stuff how to do my makeup too. So it's helping the girls, but it's also helping me. So um just being able to be teachable and lead by example um is a is a huge thing. If I'm asking my girls to do something, I'm I'm doing it too. Um, if my girls gotta go run because they don't know something, I'm gonna run too because at some point it was my fault. Maybe I didn't communicate that the best my ability. Um, so and a lot of people aren't like that. And I feel like you're only you're gonna network and end up in those rooms you want to be in if that that's what you have inside of you. It's not, it's not always like, oh, I'm doing this, so why am I not there? You're doing it, but you're not living it, you're not practicing it on a daily basis. Like this is just something you're trying to do, so you can open that door, but that's not even the right key. Like, you get what I'm saying? It's not even keychain right now. You're just trying to, you're just trying to do it and do it and do it so that you could get somewhere, but you're not really invested in what you're doing. Um, so I think because I have invested in what I'm doing, and I've you know took losses and I've got gotten awards, and I've, you know, the good and the bad, I've I've worked through the good and the bad. Um, I think a lot of people also they get into a bad space and they just want to stop. They they just want to quit. And one thing I love about marching HBCU band is you could have a terrible performance, but guess what? You had practice the next day. They do not care. You can you could have a terrible day. You just got broken up with, you don't got no much, no more money on your food swipes, and you're right at that practice field. So I feel like it's also helped me because I know like I can take so much more than other people. I can stay up later to make up choreo. Um, I can set aside time to work with my girls more and like just sacrifice because that's what I'm accustomed to. It takes sacrifice and it takes heart. And once you have that, then you'll start to see things being presented to you that you wouldn't have thought because people can feel energy. Like people can feel when you're like, okay, she she know what she's talking about versus the person you're just like, girl, get out of my face, you know, like. it's it's a different vibe it's a different atmosphere um so that that's like my biggest thing um on a on a different note when networking um a lot of people don't know how to talk and i'm talking like manners like i i operate a certain way especially when it comes to communicating via email between the hours i will email you back between the hours of eight and five before eight and after five you will not hear from me and i feel like people should not reach out and then you people reach out and they're like how much what is this hello like at texting texting is not emailing hello how like you know i always introduce myself for the most part even if people are reaching out to me because like you don't know me personally you've seen me on instagram so i'm like hello this is what i offer even though you can find out what i offer on my instagram i still let people know because it's just a formality it's just a sign of respect um you know because they're investing in you at the end of the day if somebody's paying you to come somewhere they want the you know the bang for their book so I think people can't really network that well because they just are like but how did you learn this because I'm and I'm very serious because you work with high school girls right so um oftentimes I'm watching them type emails and I'm thinking and who are you gonna send that to right because the body is in the subject and I'm confused like delete okay copy paste that here okay now put you know so like for real how did you learn that did did this come by like starting with your being your mom being an educator and you really watching her or I mean because how do you even learn these skills these very soft skills that get you in these rooms my family is full of entrepreneurs um and educators so just seeing how my family operates business kind of helped me when I like at a younger age um like my grandpa has his own business my cousins and my uncles and have their own business my mom being an educator and I just I watch people I observe because I see people thrive and I'm like okay I want to do that like how are you doing that um so I'm very observant and then my high school really did prepare me for a lot of stuff um my community is very tight knit and I think my teachers really figured out what we needed um especially my black teachers um and they really helped me present myself in the best ways they showed me different different things happening in the world um and they were like this is how you get there this is how you do that um and my older cousin he is he recently became a lawyer and he is like one of the smartest people I know and he is he okay so he does he does not play um and then I just saw people do stuff wrong and I said I don't want to do that I don't want to do stuff wrong so let me figure out how to do stuff right and I does this look right or does this look wrong um and I'll always call my mom and be like mom before I send this like what does this look like um I think that has helped me and I try to help my girls do that as well like they recently had a public speaking session with Miss AT in um honor of our women's history month series and so they got to learn how to create an elevator pitch which most of them didn't even know what an elevator pitch was. So little experiences like that um really do help in the long run because I got some experiences like that in high school and I feel like that has helped me now and then also just being in band if I'm being honest um I had to do interviews and stuff and my coaches are like you better make us look good and then and that's what it's like to make us look good. They run a very tight ship as well. So um Tiffany also helped me prepare and just watching them speak to other coaches and do interviews I I like to watch people and and see how they got to where they're at um especially if that's somewhere I want to be um so that has helped and and I think just being a kind person I don't want to come off as rude um I think first impressions are very very very serious and I want people to can want to continue to work with me.

SPEAKER_00 48:21

So I want to make everybody around me feel comfortable this because I'm like actually recently Miss Sean um Miss Sean Zachary from Prairie View recently the coach at prayer review she uh mentioned in a post not long ago about it's like teach your kids how to send emails because they want to be on these teams and they're like sending these random you know like one word emails like they're texting grammar bag everything right and so it's like but but do parents teach that like I really don't recall well I do know I took a technical writing class and in the technical writing class we had to write so many short stories business um business letters uh letters to friends like we had to write like we had to make yeah I wrote I wrote a lot oh you know like if all schools I wrote a lot and I even wrote incursive I learned how to write incursive too yeah so they're not teaching that anymore and that's the problem but and that's why in my lessons I really do try to like insert things that they need to know.

SPEAKER_02 49:28

So like I try to connect um like real world stuff going on to pop culture. I'm like y'all music isn't just music like people are saying these things for real reasons like this is what's going on in the world and I think that's helped so I wish more teachers would implement stuff like that because there is a lot of stuff in school just being transparent than high school that I don't use right now. But there is some a lot of stuff that I got offered in high school that I do use. But I know a lot of high schools don't offer the same things which is also like you know just within the public school system it's a lot going on but my high school like we had a lot more electives um like I had African American studies honors and that taught me so much not a not just about African American history but like African history. So like I was very educated on that at a young age which helped me as I went to HBCU because I didn't know about I didn't really know about Divine Nines. I didn't know about the different black culture within black culture you know I didn't know all these things so taking that class for example helped me so I do wish all kids got the opportunity to experience things like that. But every chance I get to help my student even if it's not my student I'm like okay how can I help you like what what do do you need to be able to do what you got to do especially these kids transitioning to college it's a lot FAFA um I think your you know your essay like it's a lot and a lot of these kids don't have the support at home um so it's really just like day by day I try to tell my girls like let me see what you're doing. Let me see like let me help you real quick. And they they're great they're really they really are growing and learning and they've become okay with being wrong. I think a lot of people aren't okay with being wrong. They're okay with being wrong and they're okay with learning and making it right.

SPEAKER_00 51:29

Yeah thank you so much for doing the work because listen I've been there and I completely understand like I said I taught high school for seven years. It's a different beast like working with high school kids and um the things that you're implementing like makeup classes and you know speaking classes and things like that they'll never forget it. These are experiences right they'll never forget that and so if they never ever continue dancing beyond your team they're gonna always come back to talk about this.

SPEAKER_02 52:02

Yeah when I was in high school I learned how to you it can be random going to the club with your friends you know right and y'all you doing your makeup and like girl how you know how to do all that oh I learned right in high school right comes across it like it comes about so and it's funny that you say the club because I had recently we were um we had done like a social media branding too I had three three ladies come in I had Alexis B come in she does photography I had Mariah Couch she's Miss Auntie and then I had um Miss Patricia Evans she came today Patrice I'm sorry Patrice Evans she came in today to do a makeup class and um when I'm like y'all like utilize your Instagram but don't post too much because when you at the club we shouldn't see when the section is turning up all we need to see is the cute little drink and I really hope they remember that because I remember my coaches telling me that and now I'll see girls on Instagram and I'm like you are sharing way too much about your night with me like let's bring it back in just give me a cute little boomy of the drink of the cute little cocktail and that's it. That's all we need to see but it is little conversations like that that I've noticed my girls are like like they'll see another team and the team like their hair isn't all together they got holes and they tight they'd be like Miss Clark look at them I'm like y'all see presentation whether and whether they can dance or not we will never know because I'm not interested now.

SPEAKER_00 53:28

You know and I mean so that it sucks to be so vain so to speak but at the same time in the essence of like this industry that's it's supposed to be you know one band one sound how they say now I don't believe it always all the hair has to be exactly alike or anything like that. But I do know that there's a look that whatever that look is everybody needs to be achieving that look however they're supposed to get there. Um but yeah everybody should look the part so it is unfortunate because oftentimes they come from like rural towns and stuff like that where they don't have people you know like you or you know whomever to to really guide them. And so you know it's just they kind of show up and they think yeah we're just gonna show up and dance that's just not actually how this works there's a patent there's a page that a lot of the problems it's yeah it's way bigger than they think and I also try to tell my girls like we are black women okay people are already making their opinions about us right when they walk in the room or maybe right when they read your name off a paper.

SPEAKER_02 54:38

I said so you have to be 110% all the time not a hundred um turn it turn it on all the time I said when y'all in these classrooms and y'all are presenting or y'all are handing in work like do it on time be an active student because that's gonna help you in the long run. You're always going to be you're always gonna have a a foot behind everybody else just because you're a black woman so I'm like yes you're gonna have to prove yourself but if you already you know are presenting yourself in a good way it's not gonna be hard to prove yourself they're gonna know who you are the minute you walk in the door the minute you open your mouth and say your name in a certain way with a certain presence they're gonna know exactly who you are um so that's like my biggest thing whether I'm teaching my girls or going to teach a clinic I really try to instill confidence um and confidence can be taught through dance um but even a small thing of saying your name a lot of my girls I'll be like okay how are you I'm good I'm why are you whispering? What what is what are you whispering about right now? Because I know y'all speak loud. So it's just little things like that that just help these young women build their confidence and that can help them when they get into HBCU audition room or when they're trying to get a job. Either way I think they're gonna benefit from them and I just really hope that anybody who has watched my videos or who has been taught by me at least absorb that part of it.

SPEAKER_00 55:57

Be confident whether you're confident whether you're dancing or whether you're speaking or whether you're driving your car be confident I also see that you have a little hair like situation some you know luscious um beauty what is it called ultimate ultimate beauty ultimate beauty so tell us a little bit about it I you know and I should have told you about this when you asked about sisterhood.

SPEAKER_02 56:26

So my big forgotten delight her name is Tanisha um when I got to the team and she's from the north too she's from New York she became my big sister on the team we do like bigs and littles and immediately I loved the way she danced and she stood in front of me in the stands and I was just like I want to dance just like Tanisha like oh my goodness and we became close she now um lives an hour away she actually stays with my best friend so it's like all three of us are like this and she has started doing hair so she was doing my hair a little bit on the team but she actually like went to school got licensed stuff like that and um she's literally the only person who touches my hair now and she just did my hair yesterday she's now selling bundles and I love love the way these bundles feel um her company is Ultimate Beauty Hair um and she does install she does everything she's in the Charlotte area and I recommend her to if you go into an audition or if you go into your birthday shoot or your birthday dinner anything she's gonna get you right she doesn't send a hey boo text she's always gonna be there and um just you know making sure you get get ready so I wanted to definitely shout her out um because that's she's gonna delight and she's an HBCU grad and she's just amazing.

SPEAKER_00 57:46

Well okay let me ask you I'm I obviously I don't wear weave so I'm wondering so when they're not when the girls aren't wearing wigs what it are is it the tape ends is that what's in now or well it's really the they get sewing yeah like I usually I usually get a sew-in.

SPEAKER_02 58:05

I love a sewing because you can on one you can get a versatile sew in or sew-ins just last a little bit longer than a quick weave um I feel like I'm dancing with a quick weave the sweat and it's just it's a lot going on up there. But I love a sewing tape ins are getting in there there that's more of a luxury experience tape ins and K tips um that's a bit more expensive but it's way more versatile I will say um but wigs of course I just don't like lace. I do not like lace especially while dancing I try to get hairstyles that I can dance in because I literally dance every day. So I'm not getting laced and you see the makeup and the lace and I like it.

SPEAKER_00 58:50

Yeah I've never been a wiggy girl even like I rec I'd never forget we used to put on this is back when I used to make the half wigs and we would have to wear them to the game I mean before we get on the bus good I'm already taking because it had the little combs in them.

SPEAKER_02 59:03

I'm already taking my off like I can't oh that was me that was me I I used to we used to my first two years in the team I never wore a wig um I had like jet black hair and my coach was like yes we love it I used to my hair was heat trained because I was getting um blowouts Dominican blowouts every three weeks and so my hair was heat trained so even in the sun I was good throughout the game and then I had dyed my hair my coach was like you're gonna have to wear a wig and I'm like huh but the minute we got on the bus I'd be like pass me the scissors and I would cut that wig out my head so fast and take those wig braids out.

SPEAKER_00 59:37

That was the best feeling couldn't wait oh I couldn't wait they knew exactly what was going on I'm like going up the steps to the bus trying to get that comb out I and I didn't take the braid out either I just rode on the bus with the braids in my head because I'll figure that part out when I get to my room oh no I my hair was out and I have a lot of hair my hair was out by the time we got back to the door I've seen your fro too I've seen it did not care.

SPEAKER_02 1:00:02

I was like who is that it's me we back at the bear room the game is over so okay so your friend y'all got to like you went to Charlotte she came to Greensboro yeah so she actually well she does hair in Greensboro and Charlotte I usually go to Charlotte to get my hair done um but yeah she she is mobile right now she's in the area so I the Charlotte and Greensboro area um and she actually has hair on hand right now she just dropped her hairline yesterday on her first customer with her bundle she's been doing hair for a long time but now she's selling hair as well um so I think that's super convenient because I hate having to go to the store and get hair like just bring just have the hair already and so now she does so I'm telling people now get it before I before I get all of it all right city well it was a great time speaking with you today um we shared very exciting so go ahead and let them know how they can follow you to get more tips and information about where you'll be next yes so my Instagram and TikTok is Sid S Y with three Ds D D D Briel B R I E L L E. You can follow me on there um also the training page for my clinics my travel clinics is triple threat training underscore um so follow to see where we're going next and we actually will be in Atlanta April 18th so come show out I'm swinging on by see what y'all talking about.

SPEAKER_00 1:01:39

Where y'all gonna be at um creative rental space okay okay awesome well thank you so much for watching today you may follow us um go ahead make sure you hit the bell subscribe youtube.com slash choreo you dance c h o r-e-o the letter you d a n c e also follow us on Instagram choreo you dance and follow um the podcast at major business pod on instagram so thank you guys for watching please make sure you subscribe and we will follow