Aniston Eastes- Eastes is a dancer and junior who, outside of dancing, teaches children different dances and leads them in performing them.

How did you first become interested in becoming a dance teacher?

“Well, I started dancing when I was five. I began in recreational dance class at Sho’Time and then moved my way up to the competition team. I was helping out with summer dance in between my freshman and sophomore year when my teacher, asked if I wanted to start teaching. I immediately said yes because the seniors that I had been dancing with forever were my teachers and I looked up to them so much. I just love working with kids and I hope to be a positive role model for them.”

What benefit does teaching the class have on you?

“A benefit is it gets me out of my comfort zone, I am a pretty extroverted person, but I can be shy sometimes. So, getting to be up in front of twenty tiny people every week and me being the one in charge just gives me confidence.”

How do you think being a dance teacher has affected your dancing?

“I think my skills have definitely improved through teaching. I have to actually explain every step I’m making in such detail that it makes me pay more attention to what I’m actually doing with my body. The choreography is not terribly difficult, given it’s for four to 12 year-olds, but just having to say things over and over helps me to really solidify what I’m doing in my brain.”

Austin Rushinsky- Rushinsky is a diver and junior at CHS. To increase his diving training he goes with other divers to a facility they call dryland, which is where they practice dives without actually diving into water.

What do divers do when they go to dryland?

“When we’re in the pool it’s just like regular practice, but it’s dryland when we got to this facility up in Arcadia. We practice with these things called dryboards, which are basically diving boards that are on land. We have mats and stuff to practice our flips and approaches off of that. We also have trampolines there, so we practice our flips on that too.”

What is your favorite part about the training?

“Getting to do it with my friends is actually my favorite part. So, some of our team comes out during practices with us, so that’s really awesome. So, it’s team bonding, and I get to get better. So, I get to try new things.”

How do you benefit from going dryland?

“So, my coach actually says that dryland is actually more important than diving into the pool because if you can get it right on land, than you can do it in the water. It’s also a lot easier to do core and practice everything when you’re not in the pool. There is a lot more training that can become involved on land.”

Grace Orzechowski- Orzechowski is a dancer and junior who attends extra dance classes such as Zumba at a studio called Chrome Fitness. She benefits from them because they build her endurance, strengthen her dancing, and help maintain her positive attitude.

What usually happens in your classes?

“In those classes we start with a slower song to warm up and then in the dance classes we’ll learn a specific routine and then perform it a few times at the end. With Zumba, it’s mainly cardio focused, so we learn the moves as we go and they are super simple combinations. (Zumba) is mainly to get your heart rate up and use all of your muscles.”

What is your favorite part of these classes?

“My favorite part would be the empowering energy in the room. Everybody is really excited to workout and everyone is (at) different places on their fitness journey. Everyone just wants to support each other.”

What effect do the dance classes have on you?

“When I leave the room, it’s just such a flood of endorphins. I’m always just so excited for the next class, and I just enjoy the positive energy.”

Isaac “Ike” Manlick- Manlick is a runner and junior, but does specific bodybuilding training to improve his chances of becoming an American Ninja Warrior. Manlick focuses on strengthening the muscles he needs for different stunts, such as flips, when he’s learning it.

What do you generally focus on when training?

“I do a lot of pull ups, push ups it’s really just calenstinics, like body weight exercises.”

What is your favorite part about training?

“Seeing myself improve, like setting myself a goal and then reaching it and starting a new goal.”

What do you specifically focus on during your training?

“I kind of work on different muscles. So, say there is a certain move I want to achieve, I focus on the muscles required to get them stronger and then I’ll keep trying that move until I get it.”