Athlete of the Month: How Katie Garcia Found Her Place on Stage

From the very moment she stepped foot in a ballet dance studio at three years old, Katie Garcia has spent her entire life in motion. At first, she was reluctant to enter the world of dance, almost feeling as though she were thrown into it without warning. As the years passed, Garcia grew to enjoy dancing, coming back to it time and time again. When starting high school, Garcia noticed some of her friends auditioning for the Donettes, she decided to join them, and found a place on the team. Since then, dance became the passion driving her life. 

Looking back at her high school career, Garcia recalls not only the countless hours of practice, but also the confidence, discipline and close-knit, family-like community she found on the way.

Garcia’s path as a team captain wasn’t easy. When she first started as a Donette, she remembers looking up at those older and more experienced than her and constantly disregarding her own abilities; believing she would never become as skilled and dedicated as her peers. As time passed, through three-hour-long daily rehearsals, adrenaline pumping performances, and her daily commute all the way from Oxnard, she climbed up the dance ladder and found herself at the top. During that climb, Garcia faced (and still faces) many challenges and has been taught commitment like she’d never known before. “It takes a lot of discipline,” she says. “You’re constantly reviewing your material while still holding on to that balance with schoolwork.” She noted that showing up every day has proved to be one of the hardest things, as missing even a second of rehearsal can throw off an entire piece for someone.

Before every performance, despite her experience, she still finds herself letting her nerves take over. Instead of fighting them, Garcia has mastered her ability to keep herself in the moment. “I try to stay out of my head, waiting until I’m performing to let my adrenaline hit,” she says, “I’m going out on that stage regardless of how I’m feeling right now.” Now, after all her hard work becoming a team captain, she’s found that one of the best ways she can support her teammates is to almost pretend she isn’t a leader; to blend in as another dancer, keeping the Donettes a community working together rather than one run by select individuals. She strives every day to give new dancers the same welcoming environment that lifted her up to begin with.

After acknowledging how harsh and difficult the world of dance can be, Katie Garcia looks ahead with determination, hoping to continue in pursuit of her passion while also finding new ways to branch out and feed her love for performance. She stays committed to growing even further as an artist, constantly following her own advice to “…never be afraid of what other people might think of you,” a reminder that one’s confidence and authenticity are what’s essential in a field of expression.