The minute seniors walk off the field they vow to never return. They swear they won’t visit, and for sure won’t come back to teach.
But that’s what Brooklynn Bearden did.
Returning for glory, she’s now the director of the Showstoppers, a team she captained in 2019.
“I’ve participated on the other side as a Showstopper, but this is a whole new experience for me,” Ms. Bearden said. “I look forward to all the little ‘firsts’ that are to come.”
Her mother, Jenny Bearden, was also a Showstopper and served as co-director for two years, making Brooklynn the first “legacy director” in the group’s history.
“That’s what makes this program so special – it doesn’t just shape talented dancers, it molds the kind of young women you want your own daughter to look up to,” Mrs. Bearden said. “That tradition continues, and it’s a joy to watch it live on through Brooklynn.”
Despite that legacy and the big shoes to fill, Ms. Bearden said she doesn’t feel any extra pressure riding along with it.
“My mom is my biggest supporter and I like to say she is the best unpaid assistant I could have asked for,” Ms. Bearden said. “I can honestly say that I don’t feel any pressure from her legacy, as she so often encourages me to live out my own.”
Being a Showstopper captain and the daughter of a Showstopper coach, Ms. Bearden said she learned a lot of lessons from the experience.
“I didn’t realize until later that your team is a reflection of who you are, and kindness is contagious,” she said. “If you come in having a great day and attitude and give your all to what you’re working on, then your team will be more likely to want to do the same. If you recognize others for their hard work and successes as individuals, that will catch on and carry over to the team level as well.”
Lessons aren’t the only thing she learned – traditions were also a significant part of her experience.
“I am a huge fan of the traditions of the Showstoppers that make our program what everyone knows and loves,” she said. “I believe that some of the smaller traditions like big/little sisters, senior breakfast, and our beginning of the year celebration are things that cultivate good relationships on our team. Though they have evolved, they are things that I knew and loved and am glad to see still mean so much to the girls now.”
In her first year as director, she not only hopes to win competitions but win the hearts of her girls, and lead a team of strong young women.
“My idea of a successful season is that drill team would be the happiest part of the day for each girl,” she said. “I will feel successful in knowing that everyone feels poured into and appreciated both as people and as dancers.”