My mom co-owns a dance studio in Moses Lake, Washington. It is run by three amazing women: Janet, Peggy, and my mom of course. They have a little experience in dance and wanted their daughters to be able to enjoy in a successful company and so the started the studio 11 years ago. They pushed us to work hard, to always improve, and to never be satisfied. I watched my mom sacrifice hours with her family and friends to help make Today's Generation the amazing studio it is today. However, we are still from a small town. Moses Lake has 20,000 people and it is a farming community. We are not close to LA or New York. The dance opportunities have never been knocking on our door. We had to go searching. That is why this season of So You Think You Can Dance has been so amazing.
Caitlynn Lawson, is one of my mom's dancers, but she is so much more then that. I have known Caitlynn since she started dancing and have been close with her family since she was little. When I was Miss Moses Lake she was Miss Moses Lake's Outstanding Teen. When I taught dance in Moses Lake she let me help with her solo and I loved the opportunity to teach her and the girls in her class. I have done a lot of choreography for my mom's studio and for the High School Dance Team that Caitlynn was also on and interacted with her under countless circumstances.
Caitlynn is more than just an amazing dancer, she is more than just a beautiful girl, she is a wonderful friend, role model, and all around person. She is the first to help someone and the last to stop practicing and the last one to stop doing the routine full out 100%. (She is also the first to forget pretty much all her stuff when she leaves the studio, but who cares, she'll be back tomorrow).
It is amazing to watch her up on that stage because we get to watch her biggest dream come true. It is amazing because she is from a small town, but it is not surprising because she has always been amazing. If you haven't yet, you should watch her on So You Think You Can Dance and join TEAM CAITLYNN! This kind of experience doesn't come around every day. Caitlynn, I am so so proud of you!
