Leadership does not always come from the loudest person in the room, and nobody would know that better than Kaylen Elder.
“I’m not the most outgoing person, I’m definitely more introverted, but being in this captain position has really pushed me outside of my comfort zone… I’m definitely not someone who confronts people,” Elder said. “Being captain, I definitely have to speak up a lot and it’s given me really good people skills.”
Elder moved to Charleston in her sophomore year and joined the dance team, stepping into a team that had already been together for years.
“When I first started dance here at Wando in my sophomore year… I was nervous and timid and definitely not confident. Now with dance I’m very comfortable and I’d say I go outside my box a lot,” Elder said.
Elder is more than an influential voice; she is also an inspirational figure for all those around her.
“During my first two years of dance I had two major surgeries; a knee replacement and a hip surgery. I thought that I wouldn’t be able to dance again, but then I recovered and I was better than before,” Elder said.
Despite setbacks, Elder was determined to come back stronger than ever, winning two national titles in her first year.
“Dance is my passion and something I really love, so I just had to stay focused on getting back to where I wanted to be because that was the thing that made me happy,” Elder said. “It was definitely scary because I was worried I wouldn’t be as good as I used to be… and it definitely held me back, but I caught up because I worked really hard afterwards.”
After overcoming her injuries and regaining her confidence, Elder focused on building lasting connections with her teammates. Her experiences led her to develop the guidance and support that her younger teammates can rely on.
“I definitely think that a lot of the younger girls look up to me. I’m close to girls from every grade… freshman to senior. And I always want everyone to make sure I’m there for them in dance and outside of dance, so I think the coaches saw that I’m someone that the other girls can look up to,” Elder said.
Catherine Lee, a sophomore on the team, has been positively influenced by Elder’s time as captain.
“I was an eighth grader when I first joined, so I was very nervous. Kaylen was kinda just a warm welcoming to me and an inspiration when I first saw her. Confidence in dance is a big thing, and I’ve always struggled with it, so seeing her confidence helped a lot. I think I’ve grown just watching her and her maturity when she dances, which is also very inspiring,”
Freshman Corrinn Covode has grown alongside Elder, learning from her guidance on the team.
“I think she’s a very good leader and that she does a really good job at keeping the team in order and makes sure everyone knows what they’re doing while also keeping the vibes of practice up,” Covode said.
Her leadership inspires those around her, setting an example they strive to follow.
“She makes me want to be a better dancer,” Covode said.
