ERIE — Basketball, swimming, soccer, and volleyball — these four sports easily come to mind to people from all over the world.
However, there is another sport that oftentimes is overlooked and not referred to as a sport by many. The sport being referred to is the sport of dance.
Dance has been around for thousands of years, and often falls into the category of “extracurricular activity” and not a sport. However, if anyone watches dance even the least bit, they understand the amount of athleticism, strength, and flexibility this sport requires.
It is not an easy task to be in synchrony with several others performing the same moves both through the air and even on the ground. It calls for great mental toughness and unique athletic ability.
For 2018 Bradford Area High School graduate Cailie Shanks, the sport of dance has changed her life in plenty of ways.
Shanks elected to attend Penn State Behrend in Erie upon graduating from Bradford. During her high school career, Shanks played soccer, golfed and swam for the Owls, but her heart belonged to dance.
Shanks has been involved in dance since she was three years old and danced at three separate studios before beginning her collegiate dance career for the Lions of Penn State Behrend. At Peggy Johnson’s Dance Studio, Studio B Dance Academy, and lastly at Molly Die’s Dance Express Company, Shanks learned a great deal about the sport which she has helped teach both her teammates at Behrend and also a younger generation of upcoming dancers.
In her lifetime, Shanks has learned ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop, lyrical, and modern dance types. She lists tap and jazz as her two favorite types because they provide a challenge and also get the audience involved during recitals and performances. At Behrend, the dance team mostly performs hip-hop, but does incorporate other types into performances when possible.
While she has learned a great deal at each of the three dance studios she attended, Shanks admits her last stop at Molly’s Dies’ Dance Express Company was the biggest challenge for her, but a challenge she was seeking.
“Heading into my junior year of high school, I wanted to compete on a bigger stage and focus on dance all year long. I decided to give up school sports and focus on dance instead. It was four hours every time I would go to practice because the studio is located in Warren, which is an hour each way.
“Add that time to the two hour practice each time and it created some long days. This challenge really did prepare me well for being comfortable on any stage and having great time management skills.”
Since Bradford Area High School did not have a dance team, Shanks had never before performed at basketball games. Coming to Penn State Behrend changed that as the dance teams primary performances take place during halftime of both the men’s and women’s basketball games.
In the future, the program hopes to head to some competitions in addition to their halftime performances. The program also hopes to travel to more away games in the future to perform in front of more people.
Shanks admits it is a change to a dance competition dancing at a sporting event, but admits she enjoys the atmosphere and bonding with her teammates during each of the games.
While Shanks is busy with dance at Behrend, it is not her only activity and obligation at the school. Earlier this year, Shanks joined Alpha Sigma Alpha sorority and looks forward to being a part of a great group of young women over the remaining three years of her college career.
She is hopeful to hold a position related to her academic interest of Digital Media Arts and Technology and a minor in marketing which could include social media or recruitment positions within the sorority.
While Shanks has taken advantage of a lot of opportunities Behrend has to offer, she acknowledges that she would not be the person she is today without several key people.
Her mother Connie, father Michael Shanks, and her older brother Max have all been the biggest supporters of her in any endeavor she embarked on. “Each of my parents put so many hours in to help me become a better dancer. They took me to countless practices, recitals, and competitions. I truly cannot thank each of them enough for their continued support.”
When speaking of her older brother Max, Cailie said, “Max and I have done a lot of activities together through the years. My parents encouraged me to swim because he did and play some of the other same sports. We also go skiing together at Holiday Valley in the winter which is one of our favorite activities to do together.”
In addition to her family, Shanks spoke about her dance teacher Molly Dies’ and the impact she had on her in the two years she danced under her direction. “She made me into a much better dancer, but the life lessons are what set her apart the two years I had her as my instructor. She taught me a lot about dance that I still use today.”
Shanks will always make dance a part of her life no matter where life takes her. Over the last nearly two decades, she has gained a great understanding of the sport and made great friends along the way. Over the next three years of her college career, Shanks has high hopes for the Behrend dance team as well as for the rest of her college experience overall.
