Jack Maier dances through life
A performer since age eight, Jack Maier fell in love with dance on the first day of his first class that his mom made him take. Now a senior, Maier has been a member of the NPHS dance team since freshman year, and considers his teammates to be his family. He also dances competitively with Bobby’s dance company and is interested in pursuing a career as a choreographer.
Seize the moment. Contemporary is one of Maier’s favorite kinds of dance and he likes the “hard-hitting” style more than conventional emotional dance. “Dancing is an escape because school is very stressful,” Maier said. He sees dancing as a safe space where his creativity can blossom.
Parkour! Maier dances daily for the school in addition to dancing at Bobby’s several times a week. He has competed almost every weekend this winter, traveling all over with the school dance team. “Competitions don’t make me stressed,” Maier said; after dancing for many years, he knows what to expect and handles the pressure well.
Seize the moment. Contemporary is one of Maier’s favorite kinds of dance and he likes the “hard-hitting” style more than conventional emotional dance. “Dancing is an escape because school is very stressful,” Maier said. He sees dancing as a safe space where his creativity can blossom.
Lowering himself on the floor, Maier performs a difficult floor maneuver as a part of his solo at the Winter Dance Concert. Throughout his years as a dancer, Maier has tried solos and different group dances, and has found that he prefers the former. “Group dances are fun to be a team, but it’s nice to get solo recognition sometimes, just to see how good of a dancer you are by yourself; to judge yourself only,” Maier said. Maier wants to continue dancing in college, although he does not know which college yet.
Maier’s confidence in his abilities is constantly reinforced by a solid group of friends, who support him and alway cheer him on. His freshman year, Maier “expected people to not accept (his dancing), but people were so nice about it.” Having the support of friends gives Maier confidence and lets him fly high!
