Kali Sumrow

Kali Sumrow was born in Baton Rouge, Louisiana on April 25, 1990. She now lives in Prairieville, Louisiana and dances in Denham Springs at Jean Leigh's Dance Academy. When she became a Capezio Rising Star, she was with A Chorus Line Dance Company.

Dance is a top priority in Kali's life. "The reason I dance is because I love too. I have a passion for dance that no one can teach a person. If you don't have the heart you may never succeed in dancing. When I feel mad, I dance with that I take that feeling and put it in my dancing. When I feel happy or sad, I dance that. I dance what I feel."

She dances four days a week. On Tuesdays it's Ballet, on Wednesdays it's "Jump, Turn, and Leap", which involves jump and leap combinations, and on Thursdays it's more Ballet class and a Jazz class.

Kali has high expectations of her teachers just like her teachers have high expectations of her. "I look for a person that cares a lot for their kids and pays attention to their needs and doesn't just let them do it wrong. I know it might sound crazy, but I really love hard teachers. Everyday I can't wait until Miss Diana corrects me. I love to learn something I don't know."

Kali attends Galvez Middle School at the moment. However, she changes schools often on account of her dance schedule. She still keeps academics as a priority though. "I was always told to put academics before athletics. I believe that in a lot of ways. I study hard and I also dance hard. I have my heart set on a goal and that is to be the best I can be, both in athletics and academics."

Kali has been competing in competitions like the American Artistic Awards, Kids Artistic Review, West Coast Dance, Showbiz, and Hall of Fame Dance Challenge for years. "I love competitions, not because of competing but for meeting new people and new challenges."

At different competitions, judges look for different qualities in a dancer. "(At Showbiz) the judges were looking for a dancer with strong ability. They were also looking for entertainment, which for ''Miss" Showbiz, entertainment is what it is all about. So, when I went out there with "Oh, Oh, Oh", I was ready to rock the house!!"

"High Point is a different story, because to win high point you must have the highest points. The score sheet usually consists of: technique, showmanship, rhythm, choreography and music."

At Hall Of Fame Dance Challenge Kali won with her lyrical solo Josephine. "In my lyrical it shows true emotion. The judges were looking for a dancer with good technique, but also someone who dances from the inside and not from the outside."

Other hobbies Kali has are cheerleading, drama and art. She's working on singing now too. "Everyone I meet always says that I need to go to some singing lessons, because on Broadway you have to sing most of the time." Two dancers Kali looks up to are Sheila Barker and Nick Bass.

Kali hopes to go to a performing arts high school and dance while she's there. She plans to continue on to collage where she wants to study Dance and Broadcasting. Then she plans to pursue a career in dancing in New York and Los Angeles. "Sometimes I think about the future and get scared if people will think I am a good dancer or I am a bad dancer…My ultimate dream is to be accepted to dance in a Broadway show, to hear that crowd and not worry about beating anybody. My dream is to dance in a show where I can just be me and...dance!"

"I would like to say that, If you want to dance, try, but I am telling you, you wont get far. If you HAVE to dance you probably will succeed. Teachers can teach you to jump, turn, and leap. But they can't teach you to try."