As she walks onto the competition stage and strikes the beginning pose for her solo “Warm Honey,” senior Jaelynn Lettsome takes a moment to reflect on the ten years that have led her to this moment.
“I’ve always loved performing. I love getting on stage in front of people [and] playing a character, telling a story,” Lettsome said. “I love competing, even in life I love [it], and when you do win it’s really nice. I love the challenge.”
Lettsome began her dancing career at age three, learning ballet from dance instructor Nicole Cote and performing her routines at recitals.
“[Cote] has definitely taught me a lot,” Lettsome said. “I feel bad now because I hated ballet when I was younger. I was the type who would say I needed to go to the bathroom and then spend twenty minutes in [there].”
After a few years of recital, Lettsome joined the Nicole Cote School of Dance competition team, where she continues to dance.
“Growing up, I feel Jaelynn wasn’t always placed in the front lines, which made it a bit intimidating for her,” Cote said. “[She] has had to work really hard for where she is today, [and] I’ve always been so proud of [her] for sticking with dance as she got older. The support of her parents and brother really pushed [her] to be her best.”
Lettsome’s teammates said that the competition team creates an environment for them to motivate each other and grow together.
“I feel like [with] it being her senior year, [ Jaelynn has] taken it upon herself to make the most out of all the classes she’s taken and be her best self in all them,” Yaliana Lopez, Lettsome’s teammate, said. “She contributes her thoughts, ideas and her unique personality [to our team].”
During the 2024 season, Lettsome became an ambassador for Fusion Dance Competition. She was also awarded Platinum, Title Winner and Specialty Action Shot Award for her contemporary solo “Warm Honey.”
“[I learned] Warm Honey one day in the summer and then throughout the year we just tweaked stuff here and there,” Lettsome said. “I got to pick my costume and I loved it so much.”
The competition dance season typically begins in January and ends in June, with national competitions occurring in July or August. Dancers usually learn their routines the summer before the season starts.
“[Jaelynn’s] personality and what she believes in really shines on stage,” Cote said. “She [has] learned her place on the stage [and] feels free enough to express herself. Last season was my proudest moment, when she received so many awesome awards [and] finally got to reap the benefits from her hard work.
Over the summer, Lettsome spent over 14 hours a week at the studio while preparing for the season. Now that school has started, she dedicates almost 12 hours a week to practices.
“Every time she takes the stage it’s mesmerizing,” Lettsome’s mother, Jeselle Lettsome said. “She puts her heart and soul into each dance. I love when she can connect with the audience and tell her story.”
Lettsome attended a Dance Disney workshop on Sept. 6, where she learned choreography for “We Go Together,” a song from Animal Kingdom’s Festival of the Lion King.
“It’s my goal to dance at Disney during college,” Lettsome said. “If this is choreography that I’m trying to do and it’s a lot less [difficult] than what I’m already doing, then that feels good. To me, it feels like I’m ahead of the curve.”
Although Lettsome said she is unsure of what the future holds for her, she knows one thing for certain.
“As much as my younger self said I wasn’t, I think I’m definitely [going to] end up dancing for the rest of my life,” Lettsome said.
