By Kaitlyn Hess’ own description, she is quiet, timid and reserved.
But when Hess steps onto the dance floor, she shows everything that she’s been keeping inside.
“It’s a way that I can show everyone who I am and what I love to do,” she said.
Following in her sister Kiersten’s footsteps, Hess began dance at Art In Motion when she was 3 years old, and started competing at the age of 5. When she entered seventh grade, Hess changed dance studios to be closer to home. She began lessons at Gallo Dance Studio, in St. Joseph.
Throughout her career, Hess has been drawn to lyrical and contemporary dance.
“It’s a more emotional dance. You get to express sadness, anger and happiness; that’s why I prefer doing it,” she said. “Most of the time I keep those emotions locked in, but this is a way that I can let them out.”
As a freshman at St. Joseph-Ogden High School, Hess joined the dance team. As a senior, she can see all of the lessons that being in dance has taught her.
“Dance has taught me so many life lessons: leadership and being there for people,” she said.
As a senior, Hess enjoyed working with fellow seniors to lead “Senior Run,” a summer workout program for the dance team. She’s also worked with her peers to ensure the underclassmen are prepared for practice or competitions, have all the equipment they need and have a support system.
“Dance is a completely different sport because it’s so emotionally involved, I feel like,” she said. “And you have to be so in sync with your team that you have to have a bond or you’re not going to be able to dance together.”
Hess experienced in an intense day last Friday as the St. Joseph-Ogden High School administration decided whether the team would travel through a winter storm to Mascoutah for the IHSA Sectional Competition.
“We were super nervous all day,” she recalls. “There were people crying in their classes throughout the day.”
When they learned after school that the administration had their safety in mind, and did not plan to send them to the competition if the weather panned out as forecasted, Hess said the team was devastated.
“There was not a dry eye in the room,” she said.
The administration did tell the team that if the winter storm warning did not affect the area, they would re-evaluate travel plans the next morning.
Hess said keeping that hope alive for the seniors was key.
Knowing that the team had to strengthen their bond, no matter what happened, the girls continued with their Friday night team bonding ritual as a final decision loomed.
“We decided to do a team bonding just so we could talk about our feelings,” she said. “We were all hoping that it would still happen.”
When the girls received a call at 7:30 a.m. saying that they could travel, Hess said they pulled themselves together quickly.
“I don’t think our team has gotten ready that fast — ever,” she said. “We like to take our time and do things our way. But we knew that we had to get there.”
The opportunity led to a performance that not only qualified them for the IHSA State Competition on Friday, but also produced a dance that each dancer was proud to be a part of.
“I don’t think that we’ve ever been that excited before,” she said. “We thought the opportunity was taken from us, so I think that fueled our fire during the competition that day. We made sure to show the audience that we deserve to be here, and that we were happy to be dancing that day.
“There was no one who was upset about our dance because we all knew that we did the best that we could.”
Hess is equally excited to share the stage at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington at 10:33 a.m. on Thursday.
“The stage is different and the lights are different,” she said. “It’s a whole new experience that I am really excited to share with my team.”
A team, Hess said, that has taught her to connect.
“It’s taught me how to connect with people. I’ve been able to connect with people, but I have a hard time opening up. But my dance team has taught me how to do that.”
She hopes to provide the same in return.
“I hope that they feel comfortable around me and are able to tell me how they are doing. I just want people to feel safe around me. I try my hardest to let everybody get close to me and be a safe place for them to come to.
“I’ve always wanted that and had that, and I want everyone else to have that, too.”
Hess said her family has built that foundation of comfort for her.
With school every weekday, practice for the SJO dance team, then practice at the dance studio nearly every evening, Hess said that her family’s sacrifice means the world to her.
“If they weren’t supportive of that, then I wouldn’t be doing it,” Hess said. “It means everything to me.”
She said that her sister, now a dance instructor at Gallo Dance Studio, has been a role model as she navigates life.
“If I’m having a hard time and need help, she has already gone through it, so she helps me through what I’m going through,” she said. “And she supports me and tells me that it’s going to get better and that things will change because she knows how it is.”
She said her parents steadfastness to support her no matter what has also been something she relies on.
“If I’m having a tough time and struggling with something in dance, they are always like you don’t have to do it; you can stop if you want to.”
But for Hess, dance is all she really wants to do.
After graduation, she hopes to study dance to become a choreographer or a dance studio owner with her sister.
