Syriah Carter: Dc Dancer
By: ANTONIO TOLSON
Jan 08, 2019
The lights shine down as she spins across the stage. The audience cheers as the music gets quiet
and the curtains begin to close.
It's the end of just another great performance by Syriah Carter.
Carter started dancing when she was very young. It all began at her grandmother's church. She
loves the energy and attention it brings.
"I cherish every moment on stage with the lights in my face. The sound and rhythm of the
music, performing in front of an audience and hearing their applause. It's something most people
will never feel, but it's one of the best feelings I have could ever imagine."
As exciting as it sounds, it can also be overwhelming due to learning new routines.
"It was a surprise that I was able to get the lead dancing role in our summer show. I believe that
it was more work and more pressure due to me being young because everyone else has so much
more experience," Carter said.
Carter has plenty of experience but felt that she was still kind of new to the program.
At age 4, she began dancing at Florida Avenue Baptist Church. Since then, she has attended several
dancing programs and even tried to audition for “So You Think You Can Dance.”
"Sometimes I do think about what it would've been like if I wasn’t a dancer. When I was
growing up, I practiced so much that I missed out on a lot of fun things my friends were doing.
“But I knew that dancing was something I wanted to do, so I dedicated my time to it. It just became a part of my life. I will make sure that I wouldn't be one of those people who had a dream and never followed it,” Carter said.
"My love for dancing keeps me going, even after a hard day or a disappointing one. I just think
about how much I love it and I have never been one to quit. Dance takes a lot of time and effort.
You have to be a strong person to take the criticism and hard work," Carter said.
Carter plans to graduate college and open up her own dancing studio open to all ages. She
will also host events for the people in her community to come out and enjoy the dancing.