A step ahead: Smith-Cotton junior likes to crank up the moves during games, rallies

Combine years of dance training with natural leadership skills and the result is one of the youngest dancers to be captain of Smith-Cotton High School’s High Voltage dance team.

Jordyn Bryant, a 16-year-old junior, became captain during her sophomore year. Jordyn’s mother, Denise Bryant, said her daughter was hand-picked for the position.

“She was approached as a sophomore because she is a strong dancer with leadership skills,” Denise said.

“She doesn’t like confrontation,” she said. “She is there to dance and tells the others to leave the drama outside.”

Jordyn said becoming captain, a role she shares with another dancer on the team, has been a learning process because she finds it difficult to be “the mean one.” However, despite the challenges associated with leading the group, she said she believes it is a privilege to have been chosen.

Before Smith-Cotton’s first pep assembly on Friday, Jordyn talked quietly with her teammates and offered pats on the back and smiles of encouragement to the freshmen members. She also confidently led several members through a series of stretches as they prepared for the assembly.

Jordyn and her fellow dancers perform at pep assemblies and for Tiger fans during halftime at home football games. Jordyn said she always enjoys performing, but her favorite is the pep assemblies.

“There’s just more energy at the pep assemblies,” she said.

Jordyn said the purpose of the dance group is to entertain the crowd. And this year’s routines are sure to dazzle.

“This year is great,” Jordyn said. “We are performing more hip-hop routines, which are more relatable to the students.”

Jordyn said the new routines are possible because the team has experienced dancers.
“We can really show off our technique,” she said.

Denise said her daughter began dancing at a young age and takes private lessons in lyrical and jazz dance. Jordyn said dancing provides her the opportunity to “be herself.”

“I can express myself,” she said. “I don’t have to be cool.”

Jordyn also takes private voice lessons and is a member of the New Score show choir. She maintains honor roll grades and enjoys her English class because she is “good at writing.”

She is active in her church and spent part of the summer volunteering at Camp Blue Sky, an arts camp at State Fair Community College.

“She is well-rounded,” Denise said. “I am extremely blessed because she is reliable and a good kid.”

She said her future plans include attending a four-year college, but she is undecided on a major.

Class Acts

Each Monday, the Democrat will tell the story of a student in the area who performs exceptionally well, in and out of the classroom. If you know a student, in kindergarten through college, who has made a difference or does something unique, let us know about it. E-mail your suggestion to tfennell@sedaliademocrat.com or awalther@sedaliademocrat.com
or call 660-826-1000, ext. 211.