Position(s): Competitive dancer
School: Acellus Academy (Homeschool Private Learning)
Team: DV8 Dance Company of Dana’s Studio Of Dance (Southlake)
Grade: 7th Grade
At the tender age of 11, Addison Thomas already knows what it feels like to have a 10-year tenure in what she loves — dance.
Thomas began dancing almost as soon as she learned to stand. Since then, she was enrolled in dance classes and camps, and the rest is history. She’s been dancing competitively for the past eight years. In her combined 10-year run, she has sampled the styles of ballet, hip hop, tap, ballroom, modern, jazz, lyrical and open, with contemporary being her favorite style.
“What I love most about dancing is expressing my feelings through my movements,” Thomas shared. “Being a dancer requires you to be confident and have the ability to learn new things.”
One of the newest things she’s taken on is dancing for the Dallas Cowboys Rookie Squad, the first and only youth (ages 7 to 16) dance crew of its kind in the NFL.
The opportunity to learn and train with dance professionals of this caliber has been a huge win for Thomas. She feels that in order to be a successful dancer, you have to be able to work well with people (in order to train and grow) and to be humble.
“It’s important to never think you’re too good, to know that there are always new things to learn and room for growth,” she said. “When I first started dancing, it was all about winning trophies, but as I get older, I realize it’s about getting better at my skill and the learning experience.”
Her dance acumen stems from her parents and is being passed on to her younger sisters (ages 4 and 8) who also dance. The Thomas family believes that achievement is about sacrifice and dedication. For them, dedication means dancing 20 plus hours a week — while homeschooling — and adding an in-home dance studio.
Thomas wants to continue dancing in college and beyond, with dreams of one day being a famous dancer/choreographer. She realizes everyday that a little sacrifice in the beginning is for the hope of a big payoff in the future.
This is awesome!!