Garrett Hemmingsen’s dance journey
Junior Garrett Hemmingsen has been dancing since fourth grade when he joined his first dance class and two or three years later he started to dance competitively. This led him to become the first male to join the Ankeny High School (AHS) varsity dance team his freshman year, a team he is still a part of today, three years later.
“I joined the dance team because I was originally involved in studio dance, but dance team is a different kind of dance than studio is, so I wanted to widen my horizons,” Hemmingsen said. “I would love to continue dance after high school. I plan to dance in college and after college I want to teach and choreograph.”
There are some male dancers that have inspired Garrett on his dance journey.
“There are two male dancers that have inspired me the most. One of them is more on a dance team aspect and the other more on a LA professional aspect and their names are Sam Nelson and Matthew Greco,” Hemmingsen said.
Courtney Dankert has been one of Garrett’s dance coaches for all three of his years on the Ankeny varsity dance team. He stood out to her from day one.
“When Garrett was at tryouts, he stood out to me because he was not only worried about himself but he was worried about his friends he was coming to tryouts with,” Dankert said. “We were just mostly looking at personality, work ethic, and their talent and technique. The fact he was a male didn’t really persuade or affect my decision. I just looked at him the same as everyone else.”
Sophomore McKayla Davis has known Garrett for a few years. They met through studio dance and have become close again this year as they are both on the varsity dance team.
“He is a very strong dancer, mentally and physically,” Davis said. “Practices can get really hard and it can get really stressful but he sticks it through.”
Davis mentioned that the varsity dance team faced some struggles last school year and Garrett was one of the only three returners this year, demonstrating his dedication to the team and dance itself.
Challenges and changes: Garrett’s unique experience on the dance team
As Garrett is the first male to join the team, and is still the only male on the team, he faces some challenges.
“My freshmen year, since I was the first male ever on Ankeny dance team, all of my uniforms and practice attire had to be custom made for me instead of being able to use from years prior,” Hemmingsen said.
Reportedly, Garrett has impacted the team as they now have created a version of the dance uniforms for males. This may make males more motivated to join the team as there is a uniform option for them now.
Coach Dankert mentioned that at dance competitions, there often is not a male dressing room, or if there is, it is not located near the girls’ dressing room. This makes it hard for Garrett because he may need to find a different location or walk a long distance just to be able to change.
“Sometimes the girls hang out in the dressing room and then he can’t go in there,” Dankert said.
Due to this, Garrett can miss out on socializing with his teammates before and after performances.
Another challenge mentioned by his coach is that at nationals, Garrett cannot share a room with his teammates. To avoid Garrett staying alone, his dad has to pay for an extra spot, as if two dancers are staying, so he can accompany Garrett. This adds an extra cost for the dance team, as they need to reserve an additional room.
Building inclusivity and overcoming barriers: Garrett’s impact on the dance team
The dance team does a few things to make sure they have a safe and inclusive environment. They have team bonding activities throughout the season, one of them include something the dance team calls Hawk Homies. All the dancers are paired up with another person for the season so everyone has someone they feel comfortable to go to for questions or just someone to talk to. They also give each other a gift, like a note or candy bar, before each performance.
“We also just try to treat them like we want them to treat each other,” Dankert said. “We try to foster an inclusive, safe, and just welcoming and fun environment for all the kids to come and grow.”
Dankert mentioned that they do push the dancers, but they understand that it is the best for them. It also helps build the trust that is needed to make sure everyone feels included.
“My coaches and teammates have supported me in so many different ways since I have been on the dance team,” Hemmingsen said. “If I get made fun of, they are always right there by my side to have my back in any situation that has ever happened.”
Having Garrett on the team expands what the team can do for routines.
“In lifts and stuff, he benefits because there are a lot of lifts he could do with the girls that the girls could not do, they are just not strong enough unfortunately,” Dankert said.
Garrett is the first and still the only male to join the AHS dance team, but this did not seem to shock him or stop his passion.
“I don’t think being the only male on the team changed my view on dance because, like I said earlier, dance is very much mostly girls so it really wasn’t a switch being the only male,” Hemmingsen said.
As the only male on the dance team, Garrett has made a significant impact on his friends, coaches, and teammates and he has opened up the possibilities for change.
“I am just super grateful I am friends with him. He is a really good person to be friends with,” Davis said. “He is just a good teammate overall.”
Even though Garrett is not the first male dancer ever, he is still the first one at AHS which makes it a significant milestone. It also makes it easier for future males who attend AHS and want to join the dance team, they no longer need to take that first step because Garrett did it for them. His story can also lay the foundation for improving conditions for high school male dancers, especially with male dressing rooms not always being available or accessible.
“I hope that Garrett is an inspiration to any other male dancer who is wanting to join their high school dance team but may be a little bit nervous,” Dankert said.
Garrett hopes that male dancers do not hold themselves back.
“My message to any boys wanting to do dance would be to don’t think that your friends are going to think of you any differently,” Hemmingsen said. “Do what your heart truly wants, and if you want to dance, go ahead and do it.”
This story was originally published on The Talon on December 9, 2024.