Kayla Marie Gilmore knows what she wants to do with her life.
The 26-year-old Brookhaven native wants to become a famous dancer and choreographer; she wants to work with some of the biggest names in the entertainment industry; and she wants to open her own dance school.
For now, however, Gilmore spends much of her time teaching dance to people of all ages at the Starkville Park and Recreation Department’s new multipurpose building on Lynn Lane. But Gilmore isn’t teaching dance just for fun. It’s all about health and fitness.
“This is my passion,” Gilmore said recently from an aerobics room in the multipurpose building. “This is my heart. This is my baby.”
Are you from Starkville originally?
Currently, I just stay here. I’m a native of Brookhaven, Miss. I’ve resided here (in Starkville) nine years. Mississippi State University is what got my attention. I am a graduate student from Mississippi State in 2007. I received two (Bachelor of Science) degrees and a minor in theater. Currently I am in graduate school in Alabama, where I am studying for my Master of Arts in teaching and physical education. I fell in love with Starkville and so I’m here and love being a citizen here and helping the community.
Tell me a little bit about what you do in the community.
Currently, I do teach as part of my graduate studies. I teach at the Parks and Rec. I hold my classes here. I teach children from ages 5 through 18. I also have incorporated dancercise class. It’s one of the hottest classes I see around here. I teach adult dancercise and it’s promoting health and fitness. With both groups, I’m teaching children and adults in promoting health fitness. I like to call it health fitness. It’s also helping me as a learning tool to complete my graduate studies. Also, I also teach at the Starkville School District, an after-school program. I teach dance there. All the dance that I teach at the Parks and Rec — I teach Latin, ballet, African, hip hop, Irish – I teach a little bit of everything, at the school district. I also work at a Starkville School District summer camp. I’m also a mentor in the community. I mentor at Ward-Stewart (Elementary School) and at Armstrong Middle School. I have children that I mentor. Along with that, I am also a Starkville election commissioner. I hold a job title there where I am responsible for election duties and serving Starkville. I am also a professional dance instructor where I do private dance, as in teaching churches or somebody who wants to learn about dance. I am also a member of the (Starkville Area) Arts Council.
I noticed you mentioned a bunch of different kinds of dance. When did you start dancing and how did you pick up all these different styles or specialties?
Well I just think it’s my passion. It’s one of my gifts from God. It’s one of my gifts that I have. I’ve been dancing since I was at least 12. I’ve always had it in me because I’ve always been an athletic person. I’ve always played different sports. I played basketball, tennis, volleyball, dance, all at one time in high school. I was very good at those, but the one that really sparked my attention was the dancing. I just started building, incorporating and learning and studying, just like you study for a course. Learning and watching other people. Going on the Internet and watch, watch, watch. I also did go to the Dancing Feet Academy for two years up here, as well. I didn’t teach. I just went there as a learning tool. I also worked at (the Brickfire Project), teaching dance. Along with my nine-year stay here, I worked at Brickfire. The different kinds of dances, it’s just something I wanted to learn. I researched, as well. Going to Mississippi State, I learned about dancing, as well, because I minored in theater, so I learned about different kinds of cultures and things. One of the dances I really love the most is ballet because it’s really relaxing. I like that and I like to teach that. It’s basically the most fundamental dance you need to learn before you do any other dance. I try to incorporate that in with the children, to learn that.
What do you get out of teaching other people how to dance?
Well it’s a passion. I love to help people. As I said, I’m big on fitness, promoting health. My motivation comes from them, when they come to my classes and they are so enthused and it gives them confidence. I like to see that what I’m doing is helping someone else. It’s motivation and encouragement. It’s not monetary, what I get out of this. It’s passion for helping others and helping them to, whatever they’re going through in their life, to help them. It’s art. It’s expression.
Do you still do any dancing in theater or performance stuff? Or do you just teach?
Well, actually, there’s a group of kids that I teach here. We just had a recital in October at the Sportsplex. That recital was very interesting because we did an Asian, Latin, ballet, Hawain dance. What did we do? A hip hop, break dance version. And it was called ‘Dances from Around the World,’ and what it promoted was peace. We did a little fundraiser with it and some of the proceeds did go to Save Our Soldiers, because we’re a big fan of supporting our troops. I try to incorporate that into the children. You have to give back somehow and help the community.
Obviously you have a pretty busy schedule, but what are some of the other challenges that come with doing what you do?
One of the big things is balancing my life right now because of all I do with dance. But I’m in grad school and I do keep a 3.0 (grade point average), so that keeps me busy. Then, with the other organizations I’m a part of, they keep me busy, as well. Sometimes I don’t know when to calm down, when to rest, or whatever. What I do do with my down time, I like to be adventurous and I’m practicing playing golf. I like to do that on my down time.
So do you come up with your own dance routines? I know there are different types of classes.
All my dances, a majority of them, are all originals. They’re not copycats from nobody. Like I said, I have visions. That’s one of the talents I have. It’s a gift. With the recital, I came up with all the routines for the recital. Even with the dancercise class – the adult class I teach here at night time – that focuses on their health. I don’t, per se, teach children and adults how to dance. I teach them dancing for fitness. I come up with the routines. If there is a routine that’s already made up, like a line dance, I may use it or switch it up a bit to have more movement and focus on fitness.
Do you have many people participating here in Starkville?
Well, with the children, I have an average of 15 to 17 children that I teach a year at the Parks and Rec. But with the school district last summer I taught 250 students. That was at a camp. And it’s getting bigger. For my dancercise class, it’s getting bigger. Like that Zumba class, that’s getting more popular. People are more in-tuned about their health and stuff like that. I am not a licensed nutritionist yet. Not until I graduate and finish with my graduate studies. I cannot tell them what they can and cannot eat because I am not a nutritionist and cannot do that. I’m here to teach them dance and keep them moving. As long as you’re moving 30 minutes in a day, it can contribute to better health.
What would you say to someone who is interested in taking a class like this but might be a little shy or might not know how to dance?
Actually, I had someone come to me last week and say, ‘I want to join but I’m kind of heavy.’ I think of it more as a motivational group because you come and you encourage each other. This is in the adult class and the children’s class, as well, but the adults are encouraging each other, pushing each other, saying ‘You can do it.’ You don’t even have to know how to dance to come to this class. That’s my job to teach you the
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
You can help your community
Quality, in-depth journalism is essential to a healthy community. The Dispatch brings you the most complete reporting and insightful commentary in the Golden Triangle, but we need your help to continue our efforts. In the past week, our reporters have posted 34 articles to cdispatch.com. Please consider subscribing to our website for only $2.30 per week to help support local journalism and our community.
