Aspiring dancers stories are revealed

Loud, heavy bass breaks the silence and her movement is in sync with the beat. Staring at her own reflection she begins to dance abruptly, one shoulder after the other, one arm after the other. The passion is in her face; this is what she does.

Now it’s only the loud, heavy bass filling the room. A few seconds later the music is accompanied by his abstract, robotic moves. His feet planted firmly on the floor and his arms interlocking, twisting and bending, almost difficult to watch.

How these two individuals dance is completely unlike the other. But the reasons why they dance are practically the same stories.

For senior Jamari Rusley, dance has been a part of him ever since he can remember.

But for senior Karley Lopez, it took awhile for her to fully fall in love with dance. Lopez’s mom gave her the choice of what specific dance class she could take. And hip-hop had drawn to her the most.

“It was more around middle school where I got really serious about it,” Lopez said. “I found a mentor in 8th grade and he trained me, so it just clicked.”

Rusley and Lopez’s paths crossed when Lopez performed in a couple of routines in Rusley’s group, the Droidz. The group was formed by Rusley and former student Jakari Johnson.

“I’ve known Jakari since we were kids, when we both first moved here,” Rusley said. “We met up in 6th grade and we just started a dance group and [it] never really died. It has always really been just us two, nobody else.”

Even though Lopez wasn’t officially a part of the group, she would still perform and sometimes practice with the Droidz. She loved performing, and she saw the importance of being the only girl performing with the group.

“It felt pretty cool, because no one really dances like I do, I guess,” Lopez said. “I kind of felt unique, but it was also a lot of pressure because I had to represent.”

Unfortunately the Droidz did not continue performing this year. Johnson graduated, and because Lopez wasn’t an official member, it left just Rusley and the school would not allow him to perform as a solo act.

But the end of the group didn’t stop them from pursuing their passion for dance. Rusley continued dancing on his own just for the love of it, and Lopez joined another group.

“I’m in a dance company called Misfit and we have rehearsals on Sundays and all that,” Lopez said. “I take classes Mondays, Wednesdays and sometimes Saturdays.”

For Lopez and Rusley it’s more than just dancing.

“It’s a form of expression and something I like to do,” Rusley said. “When I dance I express my feelings. I’m all about expression when I dance, so whatever I feel that’s what I’m going to dance.”

Lopez gets the same feeling.

“I can just express myself [when I dance],” Lopez said. “I don’t know it’s just where my heart’s set and I can always zone out, it’s a good stress reliever.”

What the future holds for these dancers is vague. Rusley says he will pursue dance and go to school for it, while Lopez doesn’t really see herself doing the same. She admits that it is hard to make it into the dance industry, so she plans to go to school for nursing and teach dance classes on the side.

No matter what happens, dance will always be a part of her. Of him.

“There’s nothing really else that makes me feel normal,” Lopez said.

Editors’s note: This is the second in a series of stories about how those in the LHS community express themselves through dance.