Perfection has been my ambition for as long as I can remember.  It has led me to being a woman who is determined, passionate, and responsible in all that she does.  I have succeeded in having higher than standard grades at South Piedmont Community College and Anson Early College.  Through my four years of high school, I focused on school, dance/gymnastics, cheerleading, modeling, fitness and volunteering wherever I could in my community.

 

Extra Curricular:

My passion for dance grew stronger and more intense as years past after my father’s death.  I started dancing and taking gymnastics when I was two years old.  Since then, I have been labeled as the top soloist champion for Showstopper East Coast Nationals five years in a row, along with being offered a position on the dance team for the Royal Caribbean.  I was a part of the World Dance Pageant and I have been the cover for Lebo’s dance catalog two years in a row.  To help my modeling career, I model for Pixal Frames and recently I was named Senior Representative for this physically demanding modeling business.  Four consecutive years, I was announced as the Top Gun Dancer.  I have been training in dance and gymnastics for sixteen consecutive years.  I am the captain of my senior dance team at Victory Talent Dance and Gymnastics.  To stay healthy, I spend my spare time during the day working out at No Limits Fitness.

 

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I have been blessed to be able to volunteer my time for the last four years to organize and plan the school pep rallies, Relay for Life opening numbers, Special Olympics, and cheer/dance camps at Anson High School.  Since I was twelve years old, I have volunteered to teach gymnastics to children ages four to twelve years old dance (ballet/jazz).  Three years ago, I was blessed with the approval to choreograph solos for competition dancers in the twelve to thirteen age category for Advanced/Intermediate.  Since then, many of the solos that I have choreographed have placed first and been awarded “Best Choreography,” “Most feelings,” “Great Storytelling,” and more.

 

Dance has taught me more than how to socialize, stay healthy, and improve my confidence.  It has also allowed me to escape my comfort zone and push myself beyond limits.  Music has a way of releasing emotions and movements of expression.  A dancer may find themselves happier after dancing, because they were able to escape reality for two short minutes.  I am most thankful that dance has taught me to express myself.  No matter my circumstance, I can tell a story with how my fingers curl, my hips sway, or the ball of my foot presses into the dance floor.  We must respect our bodies and the bodies of others.  Dance teaches us to embrace what makes us different and how each move we make means something.  The show World of Dance is a perfect example of how different each culture can be, yet we are all beautiful and detailed when we dance.  Each dancer is unique in their own way.  It has helped me to keep my mind straight and in check.  Whenever I am stressed in school to make straight A's for myself, I can rely on dance to calm me down.  When I see dads holding their little girl tight in their arms, I turn to dance to hold me together.  Dance is a therapy and emotional outlet.  It has provided me so many opportunities in life.  I have been blessed with the gift to be able to dance and have performed in various places such as Florida, New York, California, and South Carolina.  I have also learned how thankful we should be while attending conventions with Showstopper Dance Competitions.  Dance has motivated me to spread my love to others and grow.  Self-improvement is amazing, but helping others is an even greater gift.  For example, over the years, I have volunteered in my community to choreograph and dance in opening numbers, open dance camps, and dance rallies for the high school.
 

Relay for Life:

Reflecting back on the start of high school, I knew in my heart I wanted to rally a team together for a Relay for Life event in Anson County.  It took a good bit of time to plan and choreograph what I envisioned.  I worked with a few teachers from Peachland-Polkton Elementary School.  With their help, we were able to organize the fundraiser.  I was over the scheduling of times for students to learn and practice the opening number. 
 

The first year I choreographed the opening number, I gathered about seven dancers to perform a dance to honor cancer survivors.  I was proud to see my community embrace one another in such a special celebration of life.  No one should fight cancer alone.  With the help of this event, we were able to raise funds to help donate to research organizations searching for a cure for cancer. 
 

My second year choreographing the opening number was a little different.  I wanted to bring in more of our younger community to perform.  The third graders from Peachland-Polkton Elementary School volunteered to perform for the opening number.  We brought in several students with musical talents to play the drums, sing, tumble, and dance.  This year there was a larger turn out.  We also had more survivors to come and walk the track. 
 

The third year was interesting, I decided to make the opening number bigger in entertainment.  I offered to any students in Anson County Schools an opportunity to participate as long as they were willing to contribute their time to this big event.  Many grade levels from different schools were happy to jump on board and participate. Wadesboro Elementary students learned the song True Colors to perform.  While Peachland-Polkton Elementary students learned sign language to the song True Colors.   Many of our survivors and supporters treasured the story we told through singing, signing the lyrics, and dancing. 
 

The fourth year was the best to come!  Our community was stronger and more supportive than ever for this one big event called Relay for Life.  Dancers, majorettes, band members, students, football players, and cheerleaders participated this year in honoring our Cancer survivors.  For the opening number, we danced and sang our hearts out.  All of the lights were off on the football field, except for a few spotlights.  For two minutes there was silence in the crowd as we performed.  The idea I built behind this year’s Relay for Life was “Your illness does not define you; Your strength and courage does.”  This experience taught me that we should not take a single moment in life for granted.  Treasure every minute with your loved ones and hug them like it might be their last day on this Earth.  With this, I know in my heart that I would have never had the confidence, support, friendships, and fun without my passion for dance and gymnastics.

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Sincerely,
Brianna McCollum