Lainey Sawin is dancing off to East Lansing in the fall but will leave behind plenty of fond memories and an impressive highlight reel from her time at Dexter High School. Sawin was a key contributor to the wildly successful Dexter Dance Team during her high school career.
The Dexter Varsity Dance Team attended the Universal Dance Association (UDA) National High School Team championships in Orlando earlier this year and qualified for Nationals in July. Competing against 50 plus teams from around the country, Dexter successfully moved to the semifinals and advanced to the finals for their Game Day routine and made history by moving on to the finals in the jazz category for the first time.
“Watching the team grow over the years has made me extremely proud of the hard work each one of us have put in together,” says Sawin. “Our amazing coaches, Morgan and Julia, have pushed us to the limit to be as successful as we can be.”
Coach Morgan Dubey has been equally as impressed with Sawin.
“Lainey has really stepped up to become a great leader, captain, and teammate this season,” she said. “She is always willing to lend a helping hand to her teammates and keeps everyone focused and motivated. She is sure to have a bright future ahead of her. We will miss her and her leadership!”
Sawin began her dancing career when her mom and dad decided to put her in dance at the age of 3 because they thought it would be a good fit. And it clearly was from the first step.
“I have danced all four years at DHS and have really enjoyed making lifelong friendships that I will forever cherish,” she said. “The key to being a good dancer is confidence. If you lack confidence then you will not push yourself hard enough causing you to lag behind from the rest.”
The last trip to Florida was special. “It was amazing but also very sad,” she said. “Knowing that it was my last time performing on stage, I took every second in.”
Lainey, 18, is the daughter of Pam and Dave Sawin. She loves playing the piano and got her scuba certification in August. “Scuba diving in one of my interests,” she says.
The Dexter senior will be attending MSU this fall and will be majoring in Human Development to become a Child Life Specialist. She will not be dancing in college so she can focus on her bright future and begin a new chapter in her life.
And she has some advice for young dancers.
“My advice to a youngster starting dance would be to never have doubt in themselves and to follow their hearts desires,” she says.
Sounds like sound advice from a reliable source.
