The Nexus

Melanie Baker (12) and her step dance team competed at the Martin Luther King Jr. Parade Jan. 13 near Petco Park. Adviser Jamal Felton had promised to tell her the results of the competition, but that was the last thing she expected to hear as he walked towards her in the quad last week.

“They don’t tell you the results on the day of the competition,” Baker said. “I thought he was going to talk to me about stuff for BSU (Black Student Union).” Baker said.

When Felton broke the news that the team had received third place, Baker and her teammates were speechless.

“It was our first competition,” Baker said. “I didn’t think we’d have a chance. Everybody thought that since it was our first year, we wouldn’t get any recognition at all.”

Baker started Westview’s first step dancing team at the beginning of this school year, in September.

“I’ve been step dancing ever since I was a little girl,” Baker said. “It wasn’t until this year that I found out [from Jamal] I could start a team.”

Step dancing involves clapping, stomping, and slapping one’s legs and arms to create different rhythms in synchronization with a group.

Along with eight other members from BSU, Baker began the team, organizing practices and choreographing routines herself.

Baker says that the choreography mostly comes to her randomly off the top of her head, but she also takes inspiration from music.

“While I’m walking, a beat will come to my head, and I just try to copy it with my hands and feet and fit everything together,” Baker said. “One time, for one of our routines, I used to the beat of the song ‘Touch it’ by Busta Rhymes.”

While the team has performed in parades, and at events like the homecoming game, the Martin Luther King Jr. Parade was the first event that they had actually competed in.

Baker remembers exactly what it felt like to perform in front of the judges.

As the first team to take the stage, Baker felt hundreds of eyes on her. She says she felt like her team was representing all of PUSD.

“I kept asking myself, ‘What is everybody going to think?’” Baker said. “You don’t really see any teams from Poway.”

As they began their routine, Baker felt increasingly anxious.

“If someone messes up, it’s really easy for people to notice,” Baker said. “One person out of synch throws the whole rhythm off and messes up the whole team. It was incredibly nerve wracking, but eventually we got into it. The girls had fun.”

When they finished, Baker let out a sigh of relief. Their routine had been good. Nothing major had gone wrong. However, she still didn’t have high hopes for placing.

Now, the team is looking forward to more competitions and parades, but more importantly, they looking forward to sharing a part of their African American culture, Baker said.

“It’s a part of who I am,” Baker said. “I want to bring [step dancing] to school to show people about my culture.”