Babies love to move to a beat. Letting out their energy in a way that is fun for them and for everyone watching. Random movements by babies are about as far as most make it in their dancing careers. But from when Kamri Garcia was baby her mom Bobbi Garcia knew that Garcia would become something more.
“As a little baby Garcia would hear music and move her little body,” Garcia’s mom Bobbi said. “I knew I had to get her in a class to experience dancing.”
Bobbi knew that Garcia needed to be a dancer and experience the art of it. Bobbi was so excited that she got Garcia into a three-year old dance class when she was only two. From there, Garcia developed a love for dancing.
“It was like she could feel it in her soul,” Bobbi said.
Since taking that class, Garcia has taken off in the dance world. She now sits atop of the Highland dance world as the Dance Sterling Scholar.
Garcia has worked hard since she was very little to become a better dancer. A big inspiration for her in her younger years of dance were older girls who Garcia looked up to because she admired their skill.
“What made me want to continue dancing (once she was older than two) was the other dancers at my studio and how good they were,” Garcia said. “I really wanted to be like them.”
Garcia has been dancing with a studio, getting better and better along the way. Once she became old enough started going to competitions with her team, her competitive spirit showed up and she really wanted to win. But recently she has realized that the competitions aren’t what keep her going.
“I really am just motivated to keep going because I love it and it makes me really happy,” Garcia said.
That motivation drove her to become the very best she could. As she got better and better she earned the honor of becoming the Highland Sterling Scholar for dance. She has made it to this point by being completely devoted to dance since she was two. She has become so invested that she spends around 20 hours a week dancing with the Highland dance company and her own studio.
As she got better and better at dancing on her own she developed a love for helping others dance through the art of choreography.
“She also has fallen in love with choreography, the way people have to work together in different movements to create,” Bobbi said.
Garcia began her dance journey as a two year old who just loved to move her body to the music she heard. She has grown from that into a competitor trying to be better to further her company in competitions. She has built on that to make her company better but not for just winning but just for the sake of making something to be proud of and bringing happiness to her life.
Garcia has realized how happy this truly makes her. She wants to one day make it her job to choreograph and dance everyday.
“Join a company or be a backup dancer for an artist,” Garcia said.
Garcia’s talent has brought her so much in life. Something that makes her happy, a place to go when she needs to relieve stress, and one day something that will provide for her life.