Meet Chino Hills dance team member Zoe Grace Kwagala聽Anderson
CHINO HILLS, Calif. — For many people throughout the world, sports are a great way to stay in shape, spend time with friends, and have fun. But even though all of these features are great perks of being an athlete, the competition can also mean much more than that to some. Those who decide to dedicate a majority of their life to perfecting the art of their sport know this to be true. And this athlete, Zoe Grace Kwagala聽Anderson, is no exception!
Zoe is currently a Senior at Chino Hills High School where she competes as a member of the Varsity Dance team. With only a few short months left until she graduates, her plans of attending college and majoring in dance are essentially right around the corner. After she acquires that degree, she hopes to accomplish her ultimate goal of having a future in commercial dance and one day dancing on Broadway! Achieving these goals has been a long time in the making, considering she began her dance career over 13 years ago. But like nearly any other athlete, the journey is not always as simple as it may have seemed from the outside. When asked about her biggest challenge in regards to dance, Zoe mentioned, 鈥淭he time commitment and how physically exhausting it is and the physical toll it takes on my body. Balancing all the hours spent in dance practice, competing, rehearsals at my own studio, ASB, and studying leaves very little time for anything else. I can鈥檛 participate in some of the activities that my friends participate in. The physical toll on my body can be a challenge, so I have to make sure I am taking care of myself. I manage this by reminding myself how much I love to dance, and that my end goal requires sacrifice.鈥�
Dance is one of the few sports where there is an option to perform completely solo or as a member of a team. And of course, there are challenges and advantages that come with either discipline. Many dancers choose to participate in both, but as a member of the high school team, cooperation and teamwork are of the utmost importance. On this topic, Zoe said, 鈥淚t has taught me to put the needs of my team before my own, and how to dance for others. When I compete, I compete for the team, not myself. Also, sometimes I have to let my stubbornness go and cooperate even when I think I鈥檓 right about something.鈥� While some of this wisdom was learned on her own, she has also had many coaches and mentors throughout the years that have passed along impactful advice. One of the messages that has stuck with Zoe is, 鈥淣ine times out of ten, you will mess up while performing, but what matters is how you come back from it.鈥�
As previously mentioned, Zoe is also a member of her school鈥檚 ASB program and is a strong student outside of dance. In her free time, she also likes to read, sing, practice guitar and hang out with friends. Even though dance and school tend to leave little time for other passions, she makes sure to stay true to herself and enjoy the little things in life. This well-balanced and very hard-working young person has set her stage for an amazing show.
Best wishes, Zoe, as you dance your way through college!
This is an unedited user writing submission. The views, information, or opinions expressed in this article are solely those of the author and do not necessarily represent those of Best Version Media or its employees.