Reece Adkins

I can’t believe that it’s already time for me to write my last CPAC bio. I remember when I first started dancing in the little annex and getting my tap shoes taken away because I wouldn’t be quiet while Ms. Doty was talking. I like to think I have grown a bit more mature since then.  It’s not possible to adequately capture my experiences with this studio or my love for everyone here with just words. You always hear people say that “we’re not a team, we’re a family”, and I could not say it any better. I have grown so close with everyone here and I am so thankful for every single person I have met on this journey. CPAC will always be my home away from home. Whenever I had a bad day, coming to CPAC and dancing it out or venting to Jen Lee was my safety net. I cannot thank the people of CPAC enough. Dance has taught me that something beautiful can come from a mistake and you’re not going to get everything you audition for but that’s alright. To me dance is not just a hobby, dance is a passion, an outlet, and my future. It has opened up so many doors in my life and allowed me to travel to amazing programs across the country. I want to be the best person I can be and I know that dance has and will continue to help me achieve that. Nancy Laurie, thank you for providing the most beautiful studios and the most amazing opportunities for your dancers. Lindsey Jenks, thank you for running everything, taking complaints from parents and somehow managing to look so good doing it. To the costume shop, thank you so much for the many beautiful costumes you have provided, you are truly amazing. My wonderful teachers Jordan, Katie, Kristen, Lisa, Cara, Candace, and Zach, thank you for constantly pushing me to grow as a dancer and as a person, I love you guys so much. And last but certainly not least, Jen Lee. You are my rock, my soul mate, my second mother. I cannot even begin to thank you for listening to my late night vent sessions and all my stupid high school problems. No matter what I came to you with you always made time to hear me out and help me through everything. I could not have survived without you. I love you more than life. Chaka out!

Emily Bryant-Wimp

When I first started dancing at four years old I was completely unaware what dance or this amazing place would do to my life. Little did I know how this experience would transform me as a person, and now here I am 14 years later writing my senior bio. It’s so crazy.

I would first like to say a big thanks to my parents. You two are amazing. Mom, every dance weekend we had together was a blessing and I am so glad I had you there, even though sometimes I may have been a little crabby. And Dad, I know I secretly got all my dancing abilities from you 😉 thanks for being a great dance dad. Another big thank you to my second Mom, Jen Lee. The overwhelming amount of support and love you put in my life is incredible. You will never truly understand how much I will miss seeing you everyday. Another person that has blessed my life is my wonderful ballet teacher. Kristen, thank you so much for pushing me in every ballet class and really helping me to love ballet. You are a wonderful teacher and a role model. I would like to thank Katie for being such a supportive and loving person in my life. I will never forget all of the life and nutrition lessons I learned from you. Thanks for making tap such a great experience. Another thank you to Lindsey, Jamie, and Travis; you three may not have been my dance teachers but what you do is so important and I do not think you get enough recognition for all your hard work! My last thank you goes to Nancy Laurie for absolutely everything that you have done for me. You have put incredible teachers and experiences in my life; I will always be so grateful. You have built more than just a dance studio but a family.

To all my senior girls: Reece, Maggie, and Sydney, I am so happy that I got to have this journey with you. We may have no idea where we are going to end up after this but I know what ever you all do, it’s going to be amazing. Much love for you all. To all my younger dancers: I love you all and I will miss you so much. Never take one day here for granted because one day you will be a senior and realize how hard it will be to leave such a great place. You are all incredible; don’t let anyone ever tell you different.

CPAC has taught me to push the limits in dance and life, but more importantly to be a good person. It doesn’t matter if you have perfect technique or can dance insanely well. It all comes back to your integrity, work ethic, and loving heart. No matter what I end up doing with my life, I will always keep what I have learned close to my heart.   “For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

CHAKA OUT!

Sydney Maly

When you embark on an incredible journey, you don’t realize how truly incredible your first day will be.

Only two-years-old as a first year CPAC dancer, I spent most of that day crying and asking for my mommy. The next seventeen years to follow influenced my life on stage and off. I cannot imagine my life without dance because I have never lived a memorable day without it. While my last day at dance will likely look just like my first–lots of tears and reassuring hugs from my mommy–I am so thankful and humbled by all of the ways CPAC has changed my life.

Dancing on competition team for 15 years has brought me so many lasting memories and shaped the person I am today. The experiences and people CPAC has brought into my life are remarkable and I am so thankful for everyone that has helped me grow as a dancer and person. Jen Lee: you are my sunshine. Your selflessness and the heart you display day in and day out have touched my heart. I will miss your light that has brightened my life everyday for the past 18 years.

Miss Candace, thank you for being my first and most crucial dance instructor. Kristen, I cannot thank you enough for always believing in my potential and pushing me to do my very best. Your sense of humor and smile makes every ballet class worth it.

To Jamie, Ashley, and the other helping hands in the costume shop: your fashion sense and spunk inspire me, and the works of art that I get to wear on my body are stunning.

Jordan: you are one of my favorite human beings ever. I will never forget when I spent a whole night learning your solo from a YouTube video just so I could attempt to be cool like you. Zak: I am so thankful for all of the care you have for each and every one of us. Lindsey, you are the glue that holds CPAC together and our body image goals. KT Wear: you are the greatest tap teacher-yoga master-life mentor-friend I’ve ever had and you are truly special.

Mrs. Nancy Laurie: you are an amazing woman. I cannot thank you enough for the many doors you have opened for me. I have gotten to travel the country and attend numerous dance programs and intensives that would not have been possible without you. Thank you for the beautiful dance temple that I’ve had the privilege of training in my whole life; I am proud to call it my second home.

To my graduating seniors Emily, Reece, and Maggie and friends of CPAC past and present: I love you guys to tears. . . literally, as I’m writing this. The memories we’ve made together are too ridiculously incredible to list. It is unbelievably sad to think that this amazing chapter of my life is coming to a close, but CPAC will forever and always hold a piece of my heart. Chaka for life.

Maggie Robbins

I could have never guessed that my life would be shaped so heavily by this wonderful studio. It is difficult to describe in words my experience at CPAC. Trying to communicate it brings tears to my eyes. As cliché as it is, it has been my life for 14 years. Not only has it been my life, but my passion. Experiencing your passion the way that I have been, is something that only a few will experience in their lifetime. It seems impossible to say goodbye to something so genuinely known as my home away from home. How do I say goodbye to the family that has been created here?

CPAC has presented me with so many opportunities to experience my love for dance. I have been able to assist Candace for seven years, teaching young children to dance. It is really special for me to work with her because my first dance class was with Candace. I have always loved teaching and have wanted to be a teacher since I was nine. To be able to share my love of dance and my passion for teaching to others has been so inspiring and so reassuring for me. The relationships I have created with the kiddos and being able to see them grow up through CPAC is something I will never forget. Thank you to Candace for teaching me what it means to be an extraordinary teacher and showing me the true power of patience.

To my dance family, saying goodbye to you is the hardest thing I have to do. To have been able to grow up, change and mature in our lives together, is something that will last me a lifetime. All of the things we have experienced together. The way it feels to dance on stage together, the pulled muscles, living on Panera, yelling chaka at the top of our lungs, praying with you before every performance and the tears that we share together after a job well done. I cannot thank you enough for consistently making me laugh and loving me throughout the years. You all inspire me and give me thousands of reasons to realize how blessed I am to be surrounded by such creative people. I love you all from the bottom of my soul.

To Emily, Reece and Sydney: I am so lucky to be graduating with my best friends. Thinking about us taking different routes is scary, but I know that everything we do will be worldly. Thank you for inspiring me every day. I love you.

A special thank you to my parents. Thank you, Mom for always putting up with me at competitions. Thanks for putting on my makeup until I learned to do it better than you J (I always loved the white circle around my face), for the countless costume changes and coffee runs, and for my pep talks when I get nervous. Dad, thank you for being “Maggie’s Dad”, for being the cutest competition dad out there, and for your constant support. You always know how to cheer me up. You guys are my rocks and I wouldn’t have been able to do this without your countless support.

To Jen Lee, my second mother. You are the most humble and inspiring person anyone could ever meet. CPAC would not be the way it is without you. You are the heart of CPAC. No one could survive without you. You have always taught that above all, you must be a good person. You show me every day how to do that. Thinking about leaving you is heartbreaking, but you will always have a special place in my heart. You are my role model. There are not enough words to describe the impact you have had on my life. I love you in ways I cannot describe.

Kristen, thank you for improving our technique and for pushing me to be a better dancer. I will miss you and our ballet class so much.

Jordan, you are my inspiration and my idol. You made me realize why I appreciate and love dance the way that I do. I always enjoyed looking forward to contemporary week and how it would change me after each class. Thank you for making me feel comfortable in my own skin.

Katie, thank you for being the best tap teacher and health nutritionist out there. I love you.

Lindsey, thank you for all your hard work behind the scenes. You do so much for us.

Jaime, Ashley, Kelly, thank you for always creating the coolest costumes and making us look good. You guys are the best and I will miss you very much.

Ali, thank you for the bright smile everyday as I walk in the building.

Travis, thank you for always keeping ballet enjoyable with your music and singing.

There are not enough words to describe how thankful I am to Ms. Nancy Laurie. What a special human being you are to have touched and shaped so many lives, including mine. I am grateful from the bottom of my heart, and hope to make you proud from what I have learned here. I hope that someday I will be able to give a child as much joy as you have given to me. I have no words, but a thank you. Thank you for giving me a place to feed my soul.

CPAC has shaped me into the dancer and person that I am today. It is my creative outlet, my lifestyle and a way to reach my soul in ways that nothing else can. Just to have experienced all that I have and to have created the memories I did, make me the luckiest person in the entire world.

For the last time,

CHAKA OUT