By Robin Swanson
Staff Reporter
At Millikan, the dance team is known for their amazing shows, and the talent. One of these amazing students, Camille Larsen, gives insight into what it’s like to be on the Millikan dance team. Larsen is a senior in the COMPASS program; she is also the captain of Dance 5-6.
Dance is known for being a very rigorous sport and most dancers start off very young. Larsen started when she was “three years old. [my] parents had encouraged [me] to try and so [I] did.” Lots of people tend to quit or leave their sports after a few years, but Larsen is still up on the stage performing, loving every minute of it.
With dancing comes competitions. There’s team dances, singles, pairs and so on. Larsen said she prefers “group dances because there’s support, and you have to work together as a team.”She adds that it feels better to know you’re not alone on the stage performing. And even though competitions are stressful she said they’re a lot of fun. But with competitions comes winners and losers, Larsen doesn’t really care about that part. She said that, “there are so many different people out there performing that you can’t help but be proud of everyone,” going up on stage and dancing. Putting themselves in front of a crowd and a group of complete strangers that are there to judge their every move, it’s no small feet, so no matter if you win or lose you should still be proud of yourself for getting up there.
Dancing is fun for Larsen. It’s a way to let loose and do something she loves. Through her sport she has found many other interests, such as theatre and drama. She’s been in some of Millikan’s plays, which are always a huge hit. Her biggest role model is Sutton Foster, a rebound Broadway actress and also two time Tony award leading actress. “Like theatre, dancing always leads up to something,” Larsen said, “there’s a story being told in each dance, a moment in each move.”
The Dance team at Millikan is a big part of student life, the shows they put on every school year is something everyone at Millikan looks forward to. If you’re looking to join the dance team talk to your counselor.
Photo curtesy of Camille Larsen
Camille Larsen dances her way though life and the Pandemic.
Diana Rodriguez • Feb 5, 2021 at 3:10 pm
February 3 2021
Dear Corydon Editor
In issue 5 (January 27, 2021) Robin Swan wrote an article called “Dancing through life” which talked about the story about a millikan student named Camille Larsen. Camille Larsen, currently a senior on the dance team, explained what it is like to be on the dance team. While reading the article I can feel the inspiration and her life journey. She said that she had been dancing since she was 3 years old and how she keeps finding things that interest her through dancing. Which corresponded with most readers including myself, I found myself motivated after reading the article. It is strenuous getting up every day and getting up to keep going at such a rigorous sport, but Larsen keeps doing it. With every hard moment she seems to keep finding happiness in what she does. This is easier said than done but this is one of the most important messages that I took out of the article. This article also explained that most people leave their sport after a few years, which made this even more inspirational. When seeing other people give up, it’s easier to give up because the people around are doing it. One has to have strength, physically and mentally to keep on persisting and persevering
Sincerely
Diana Rodriguez, Grade 12
Jordan Rabb • Feb 5, 2021 at 10:06 am
Dear Corydon Editor,
this article is just very amazing to me. I love the way it is set up and how it really grabs the readers interest to finish the article. It is very sweet and sincere but then also very motivating and determined. I for one and very proud of her for finding something that she loves to do that keeps her busy because we are going through a change in the world so finding a way out of all the commotion is something that is really good. I miss watching the amazing dances and I hope one day I can watch them dance all together again.
sincerely,
Jordan Rabb, Grade 12
Pierre Camille Khoury • Feb 4, 2021 at 12:22 pm
February 4, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In Issue 5 (January 27, 2021), Robin Swanson wrote an article titled “Dancing Through Life”. This article was extremely accurate on how important dancing or really any sport or extra curricular can be to someone. Especially with dance often they are the center of our ram pride. They are at every football game, every assembly, and even put on a yearly show for the whole school. My sister who graduated last year was in the same boat as many of the dance team girls. She has loved since 7 years old and still does. Often it is not about who is the best but simply having the courage to go out there and do it like Camille Larsen stated. I believe these types of things are crucial for young kids and high schoolers to experience. I 100% agree with this article that the dance team brings an environment to the school that would not be the same without them. This article just highlights how vital these types of things are for students. Oftentimes it is the only thing pushing kids to show up at school. The dance team gives us a little reason to smile and laugh about when coming to school.
Sincerely,
Pierre Khoury, Grade 11
Tara Burks • Feb 4, 2021 at 12:19 pm
February 4th, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In Issue 5/2021(January 27th, 2021), Robin Swanson wrote an article titled “Dancing Through Life”. This was a very nice article, as it got consistent input from someone who’s very passionate about dance, Camille Larsen. The article’s calm and feel-good tone is something that we all need in a stressful time like this and reminds us that we all still have something that we can enjoy as individuals. Personally I’m not a fan of dancing, but I agree with Camille’s idea that engaging in a fun activity or hobby with a group of people helps one feel better about doing it rather than being alone. Her mindset in general, which involves being proud of competitors for their effort and continuing to be passionate about something for a lifetime, is very inspiring and honorable as it’s one that not many people nowadays either share or are open about.
While I really enjoy the idea of the article, it felt too short with too little of note from the writer themselves. I think it would have benefitted from talking more about Foster, or getting more input from other passionate dancers at Millikan. Even despite this, it’s without a doubt a nice read.
Sincerely,
Tara Burks, Grade 11
Alexis pitts • Feb 4, 2021 at 11:25 am
February 4, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In Issue 5 (January 27, 2021), Robin Swanson wrote an article titled “Dancing Through Life”. I very much give Robin praise for covering a topic many don’t want to talk about. Dance is something people think doesn’t take much effort when in reality it’s a very hard sport. It was good how she used somebody’s personal dance experience to prove the point. Just like any other sports with dance you also compete, which is already challenging in itself. I like how she mentioned the fact that through dance Larsen finds other interests such as theater and acting. Dancing is something that will always have open opportunities. This Article was very informative and gave a lot of good info about a sport a lot of people love. It can be a main sport or even a curricular activity. Even though we are in a pandemic it’s nice to know that people are still enjoying doing what they love. One thing I would suggest if another person’s viewpoint was mentioned. I would like to hear about what others think about the pandemic and how they are adapting to the situation. I Would like to hear about more childhood experiences and now, how they got to the point of where they are now with dance.
Sincerely,
Alexis Pitts, Grade 11
Kylie Plooster • Feb 4, 2021 at 10:37 am
February 4, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In Issue 5 (February 4, 2021), Robin Swanson wrote an article titled “Dancing through life”. In this article, Swanson features a Millikan 5-6 dancer, who also happens to be the captain of her level, who has been dancing since her young years of 3. She goes on to add how most people tend to not continue their sport past a certain amount of time, however Camille continued her passion through high school and she loves it. I really love how many direct quotes Swanson took from Larsen in this issue. One of the many that are very powerful is when Larsen says “…it feels better to know you’re not alone on the stage performing. And even though competitions are stressful she said they’re a lot of fun.” From personal experience, this is very much true. I know Camille from the dance program and I’ve danced with her countless times, she is the type of girl to be super supportive and positive. Reading what she said about competitions really shines through in her optimistic attitude in class.
Camille says how dance opened up another door in her life; the acting industry. She has been a part of multiple plays and has appeared as many roles. This probably wouldn’t have been possible without the help of her dance background. I enjoyed reading this article a lot and I think it efficiently explained how the dance world and different arts can compliment each other in numerous ways. There are a few grammatical issues in this article such as in paragraph 3 “She adds that” is put in quotations before her direct quote, I would recommend starting the quotations when the quote begins.Additionally, adding more information about her drama background and how she feels about it would add a bit more to the article. Overall, I loved reading this and I think Camille’s story is beautiful and hopefully inspiring to other dancers and actors.
Sincerely,
Kylie Plooster, Grade 11
Samarra Monrroy • Feb 4, 2021 at 10:31 am
February 4, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In issue 5, (January 27, 2021), Robin Swanson wrote an article titled “Dancing Through Life”. In the article, Robin Swanson mentions a student at millikan who resides in the dance team. We shift our focus to Camille Larsen and hear her journey of dance and her passion for it as well. In the article, it describes Larsen as someone who loves to dance and get up on stage. It is said that dance can sometimes be stressful and get the best of your nerves while performing. Larsen states that she doesn’t like to do solo dances and that she prefers team dances because there is more support from the rest of the team. Even though dance is a very competitive sport where there are always winners and losers, Larsen seems to be on the side of just having fun. Larsen does not worry about winning or losing because she says “no matter what, getting up on the stage in front of a huge audience to judge you, should make you feel proud”. This article not only gave people insight on the dance experience at millikan, but it also gives other kids the chance to consider joining the dance team. This article gave great information on what the dance team is like at millikan. I loved it.
Sincerely,
Samarra Monrroy, Grade 11
Tru Jones • Feb 4, 2021 at 10:21 am
February 4, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In Issue 5, published January 27, 2021, Robin Swanson wrote an article titled, “Dancing Through Life”. First off, I really enjoyed reading your article. I feel like dance is a sport that is often overshadowed, not only at Millikan, but in general. Dance is frequently labeled as an art which can cause people to forget that it is also a sport that takes a lot of dedication and hard work. I was also glad to see Cami being the spotlight of the article because I’ve known her for quite some time now. I enjoyed reading about her perception of competition and teamwork. Many people enjoy individual events rather than team ones when it comes to competing so they can show off their own skills but Cami on the contrary prefers her group dances over solos. She also mentioned she doesn’t care about winning or losing because of how much she enjoys her sport and I think that’s a really important concept. She can enjoy her sport even more because she is not so focused on the competition portion. Overall, I believe you did a great job writing this article and I hope you do some more spotlights on other overshadowed sports/athletes on campus because it would be nice to hear more about the underdogs.
Sincerely,
Tru Jones, Grade 11
Evan Morissette • Feb 4, 2021 at 10:13 am
February 3, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
In Issue 5 (January 27, 2021), Robin Swanson wrote an article titled “Dancing Through Life”. The article talks about how a Millikan Student(Camille Larsen) and how dance has impacted her life. The article goes on to say that dance is uplifting and you should be proud of yourself for even trying. All of the Millikan dancers are so empowering and just amazing to watch perform. RIght now with COVID-19 it is very hard to dance with a full team but I know that Mrs. Waters is trying her best to still work with them. Millikan has amazing performances such as dance, theater and choir. I would be interested if you could write about how one of these groups could perform during COVID-19 but still do it safely. One thing that I love about the new setup is the fact that the background is now blue. All of the replies are visible now whereas before you had to highlight them to see them. Another thing that I also liked was how you brought in the students. Something to think about for next time could be to add more pictures. The article was really good but I don’t think it had a good balance of pictures.
Sincerely,
Evan Morissette, Grade 11
Natalia Vega • Feb 3, 2021 at 9:40 am
February 3, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
On January 27th, 2021, Robin Swanson wrote an article titled “ Dancing Through Life”. This article addresses the huge impact dance has at Millikan Highschool, highlighting one incredible dancer known as Camille Larsen. Camille is the captain of one of the dance teams here at Millikan and the way she just speaks so highly and profoundly about her passion for dance is really inspiring. With most people, Robin explained in her article it is true. Falling out with the sport you love and not continuing in it really does hurt. Sometimes you don’t end up realizing that till later in life.
I was once very passionate about soccer and I also danced on the side but I ended up quitting dance to pursue my other sport but with time I ended up giving up on both. So it is extremely encouraging to hear that people still have that spark and are working towards their goals when it comes to extracurricular activities and things they are downright passionate about. The way Camille describes the competitive environment makes it so comforting. She chooses to be kind and supportive to all people competing in dance and that is such good sportsmanship on her part. As mentioned as well, the Millikan dance team honestly does such an amazing job of providing amazing choreography and performances for the whole school. I am sad that we haven’t been able to see one in person due to covid but grateful that I’ve been lucky enough to witness all these beautiful dancers.
Sincerely,
Natalia Vega, Grade 12
ivy Kealoha • Feb 3, 2021 at 8:43 am
February 3, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
On January 27, 2021, issue 5, Robin Swanson wrote an article titled “ Dancing Through Life” which was very inspiring. Some girls, drop out of sports too early and in the later years, we don’t have enough to play. This due to many reasons, one is that they feel the need to be more socially acceptable and to good, at a sport it takes a lot of time. If you want to really good at whatever sport you need to practice for several hours each day and you still need to balance family and school so there is not much time for friends or relationships. Another reason is pressure from their peer, during high school, there are many clicks of people that from and can no fun for some of the girls. I know from personal experience that the Millikan softball team is horrible to this standard the girls in order to get playing time would tear each other down and just to get ahead. Even the coaches would tear you down by cussing out the girls at practice or applying that we were too fat to play. Along with there is no future outcome with paly most female sports like cheer or softball. So when so seeing a girl still working at her sport is inspiring to me and hopefully others.
Sincerely,
Ivy Kealoha, grade 12
Allison Stone • Feb 3, 2021 at 8:42 am
February 3, 2021
Dear Corydon Editor,
On January 27th, issue 5, Robin Swanson wrote an article titled, “Dancing Through Life”. I am very impressed with the writing and the points made in this article. Robin was able to capture my full attention when I was reading about the life of Camille Larson. I enjoyed how the story flowed smoothly from her childhood to the Millikan dance class. However, I am concerned that the article could have been a little longer. I suggest writing more details about why they continue to play their sport and why it is important to them, not just why they like it.
This was a strongly written article and I must emphasize the ability that Robin has to write such an amazing piece of writing. I do believe that this article could have been enhanced if a quote from Sutton Foster was used to tie back into the idea that dancing leads to another performative role in life. Whether the quote was about acting or the arts in general, it would have added a nice flair to the story that Robin was writing. Honestly, it didn’t have to be a Sutton Foster quote, it could have been any artist that started as a dancer which lead them to be another type of performer.
Sincerely,
Allison Stone, Grade 12
erin m aguirre • Feb 3, 2021 at 8:35 am
Dear Coydon Editor,
On January 27, 2021 issue 5, Robin Swanson wrote an article titled ¨ Dancing through Life¨. The article talks about how most students start a sport of their choice at a young age and discontinue that sport eventually when they get older. Camille Larsen is one of few students who continues they’re sport journey through the years. Millikan dance has opened new doors for her by introducing her into the acting world and joining the plays. Larsen enjoys competing with a team rather than being alone. Most students enjoy a team setting then being alone. Being able to experience being in a team is definitely something that every student should experience. You create the best memories and learn how to work with people in sports. Larsen also says she doesn’t care about winning or losing; she’s just always proud of everyone. Having a mindset like this is a great help when you are in a sport. You learn not to beat yourself over losing too much and to still be proud of your hard work and your teammates. Any student who has done a sport of any kind should be proud of themselves. It takes a lot to show up to practice everyday and get out there and do your best during games or meets.
Sincerely,
Erin Aguirre, Grade 12
Taylor Ochoa • Feb 3, 2021 at 8:27 am
First off, I hope this letter finds you in good spirits as I know it is a tough time right now for students and journalists alike. I commend you for still being able to put out new issues and continuing to shed light on what is going on in school, even though we are no longer on campus. This article was very pleasant to read and it reminded me that it is still possible to partake in extracurricular interests. In the middle of the pandemic, it’s very easy to forget that you can still enjoy the things that you love. Sports like dance have been hit especially hard by the pandemic so it’s nice to hear some good things from a student who is a part of it. As someone who was in the musical, it would be nice to hear more about how people are handling and adapting to the pandemic. I would’ve loved it if the article included some different viewpoints from other students, whether they be from dance or just in other sports. That is something that I would be interested in reading about in another article.