Sugar, Spice, Everything Nice

An Interview with Isabel Erickson

By Christine Trask

Children are gifts. It is important as parents, teachers, employers, and mentors to treat them as gifts rather than burdens. Our role is to teach, guide, bring out the best in each one, and love them unconditionally. What do you get when you adhere to these guidelines? Isabel Erickson—sugar and spice and everything nice. The following is my interview with Isabel, a beautiful girl who dances at Minnesota Timberwolves games and who turned fourteen on April 17th.

What is your favorite sweet treat and spicy food?

My favorite sweet items are Kit-Kats and chocolate chip cookies, and spicy items are buffalo chicken tenders and nacho tacos with chicken.

Is your personality sweet or spicy or some of both?

My personality is definitely both sweet and spicy. I am sweet because I try to be nice. As an assistant for younger kids, I help others with their steps in dance. I am spicy because I have a lot of sass.

Do you have brothers and sisters?

I have a sixteen-year-old brother. His name is Carter. My brother and I are pretty close.

Who is your best friend and why?

I have two best friends. Their names are Kaelyn D. and Kaelyn J. They both encourage me to be the best I can be.

Who is your mentor? What are the qualities that make a good mentor?

The person I look up to as a mentor is my teacher Miss Talya. She leads by example, offers constructive criticism, and gives positive feedback and words of encouragement with a smile.

How did you get involved in dance?

My mother took me to my first dance class at age three, and from the first day of dance class, I was hooked. I danced at different studios from ages three to eleven, and at age twelve I started at Platinum Dance. Dance is my life.

What is your favorite style of dance?

I really like slower songs, since lyrical is my favorite type of dance. It is a combination of modern, jazz, and ballet.

How often do you practice?

I practice at home every day and have dance class at the Platinum Dance Center on Mondays, Thursdays, and Fridays.

How does dance make you feel?

Extremely happy!

Does concentrating on new steps help you focus better for school studies?

Dance and school are two different things for me. I love dancing and don’t enjoy school. Dance is where I can really be myself.

Does it help your self-confidence?

Yes, it does help because I can just let loose and focus only on dance. I get a lot of positive feedback from others when I dance, which definitely makes me feel good about myself.

Is dance mandatory in your school?

No, I do online school, so I choose dance on my own.

Do you know any ballroom dances?

No, I have seen them perform but have never tried ballroom dances yet.

Do you encourage non-dancers to dance?

Yes, I tell them that dance is the best way to forget about your problems, let loose, and have fun.

How did you get involved with the Timberwolves? What routine do you do for the game and to what song?

My dance teachers, Lexi and Erica, are former Timberwolves dancers. Lexi had the coach help with choreography for our hip-hop dance. We perform a hip-hop routine to the song “Bom Bom.”

What competitions do you get involved in, and what awards have you achieved?

So far, we have only danced at KAR (Kids Artistic Revue). The awards I received at KAR are three Top First and one Top Elite First. For jazz and lyrical, our team received an extra award: First Overall.

Does your dance team do volunteer or charity dances for the community?

We volunteer at Feed My Starving Children. In February, we did our annual charity showcase and raised money for breast cancer awareness by selling tickets, donations, and concessions.

Do you intend to keep dance in your life forever?

Yes, I definitely want to dance as long as I can and teach dance after graduation.

When we were running out onto the court, we almost tripped on an extra step.

If you had one wish, what would you wish for?

I would wish to take a trip to California and get a job dancing with celebrities on TV.

Wouldn’t you love to turn on your TV ten years from now and see Isabel Erickson as a celebrity dance star? I would! Sheer Dance invites you, Isabel, along with your family and teachers to come to any of the upcoming ballroom or studio events listed in this publication. Good luck, Isabel Erickson!