Aug
29
BlazerDancer CaMicha knows about dedication and hard work. She also believes that gathering knowledge is what life is all about. As she puts it, “Everything happens for a reason and every opportunity that comes up is about learning experiences.” CaMicha’s dance journey is the quintessential example of her words.
Ballet was the gateway into the dance world for a young CaMicha. Beginning her training at 3-years-old she was traveling the country for competitions by the age of seven, and was a member of the Pure Dance Company by high school.
CaMicha’s next stop was the Cheer Dance Team at Oregon State University where she spent two years supporting the Beavers. Under the guidance of her coach, a former BlazerDancer, she continued to improved her technique and skill. Her next move was into professional dancing.
As a basketball fan, auditioning for the BlazerDancers was a no-brainer. After a trying audition process CaMicha danced her way onto the 2006-2007 squad. She entertained the Rose Garden faithful and cheered on the Trail Blazers for two seasons. Returning to auditions for her third year CaMicha was met with a shock. She didn’t make the team.
Battling confusion and disappointment CaMicha took the year to evaluate herself and her dancing before returning to auditions the next year. A process that turned out to be invaluable to her.
“I was trying out for my third year, and I tried out and didn’t make it. I took that year off and really thought about it,” CaMicha said. “It happened to be during my transition from Corvallis to Portland and there were all these things that were just hanging in the air. And when I didn’t make Blazers everything started falling into place. Looking back on it, with what a commitment Blazers is I really couldn’t have handled all of that at the same time.”
Reinvigorated to return to her passion, CaMicha rocked auditions in her fourth year and landed back on the squad. Now in her fifth season she looks back at the trying time in her life as an experience that helped her grow.
“I knew that is was something that I really wanted. That was my turning point. I learned that you have to believe in yourself.”
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