Camas High School Freshman Ella Iavicoli took journalism this year because she has always been passionate about writing. She also has prior experience because she took digital journalism in middle school. Iavicoli values journalism because of the opportunity it presents to spread awareness within the community. She also likes being able to interview a wide variety of people.

Journalism class has taught her how to organize her time, which is a valuable skill for the future, especially in college.

An important part of Iavicoli’s background is dancing, which she has been doing since she was little. She started with ballet and was inspired by the gracefulness and look of it. Iavicoli learned all kinds of dance, ranging from lyrical, hip hop, modern, jazz, and even some tap. 

Through her experience with dance, she has created a meaningful outlet for herself.

Iavicoli said, ”I truly do love lyrical and hip hop because I can express myself through the music… it is almost like an escape of reality, you’re kind of in your own mindset.”

She described dance as a stress reliever, especially lyrical dance, because it helps clear her mind. On the other hand, hip hop, Iavicoli’s other favorite form of dance, helps get her energy levels up and keeps her motivated. She said that she loves all kinds of dance, but the ones that she feels most connected to are lyrical and hip hop. 

“Dance, it really teaches you a lot of important life lessons like to not give up… and it teaches you to be a leader in some ways as you do not want to rely on others for learning choreography,” said Iavicoli.

She started dancing at the Evergreen Dance Studio, but quickly discovered that she learn more technique. Iavicoli decided to move to a private dance studio ran by one woman. In elementary school, she transferred to Columbia Dance Center, located in downtown Vancouver. She said that the hip hop and lyrical dance teacher there is the best one she has ever had. 

Dancing ended up being different than Iavicoli expected because there is lots of conditioning involved. Despite these difficulties, she said that she would not change anything about it. Dancing has helped shape her into who she is today and it has brought her more happiness than she could have ever imagined.

Iavicoli’s description of her dancing shows how her talent inspires many corners of her life. Her detailing of how she participates in lyrical dance truly shows how focused and knowledgeable she is.