“But seek ye first the kingdom of God and His righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.”
- Matthew 6:33
This month's Golden Child is super special to me, because this girl has been my best friend for almost 14 years now.
Taylor Davis is a Winthrop University dance performance major.
"Dance has always been a passion of mine because I have been obsessed with anything dance-related for as long as I can remember."
She said her earliest memory of dance is watching High School Musical and picking up the choreography to "We're All in This Together" very quickly and realizing how alive it made her feel. But what sane person doesn't get their life from that performance?
Taylor said that dance not only makes her happy, but it "also gives me a sense of peace and I always feel at home when I dance." Feeling so deeply about her major made her want to be more involved on campus.
Taylor is involved in L.A.D.I.E.S. and serves as secretary along with our February Golden Child Katrina Gainey, and is involved in Winthrop's Terpsichore dance organization. She currently takes dance classes such as ballet, modern dance, and choreography 1.
She believes it's important for her to take as many different dance classes as possible because she feels it's important to be well-rounded as a dancer by exposing herself and challenging herself to different dance styles it makes her a stronger dancer and stronger in her technique.
Taylor loves the performance side of dance, but that's not where her passion stops. She is minoring in professional business.
"I chose that minor because I wanted a back-up plan in case the performing aspect doesn't work out for whatever reason. That way I can still be involved in the dance industry but it would give me the opportunity to learn about the business side of things."
Taylor cites her greatest dance inspirations as Galen Hooks, Jojo Gomez, Parris Goebel, and Aliya Janell (a queen!!!).
Knowing Taylor for almost 14 years, I've seen her grow from a shy, extremely introverted girl into a well-rounded, responsible, and hardworking young woman. The Taylor I became friends with would not be caught dead at a party, and now my girl is living her best life! I asked her how she made such a tremendous transformation and how she continues to put herself out there.
"This is actually something that I am still working on. However, I believe that when you truly love what you're doing, you will go after it no matter how shy or nervous you may be about it because it's such an essential part of you."
What makes Taylor Davis "black gold" is her persistence. She came to Winthrop as, essentially, an inexperienced dancer. She came without any previous dance lessons or classes under her belt, but despite this, she believed in herself, her abilities, and her passion, and declared dance as her major and began learning and making connections.
Now, she'll be in Winthrop's Spring Showcase in April of this year, dancing during a number.
I am so extremely proud of the woman you've become and the woman you're growing to become. I see nothing but love, laughs, and more lighthearted confusion in our future! Love you forever!
Follow Taylor on social media:
IG: @tayylivv
Twitter: @tayyoliviaa
