Oluwatobi (Tobi) Olaniyi: Dance is always in her corner

Times are hard, athletics are on hold, and COVID-19 continues to loom, but The Bremen High School Dance Team and their Team Captain, Oluwatobi (Tobi) Olaniyi, are getting through it with dance.

While the Bremen High School Dance Team is roughly only two years old, one could easily say that you won’t find another group or team with as strong of a bond.

“Our goal for the year is to get together at least one time and have a family meal like we usually do,” says Head Coach, Darcy Walker. “As much as we have practiced and prepared for competitions, we always made time to get together and have fun, have dance offs, and have a family meal.”

Olaniyi, the Team Captain, says the group started roughly two years ago after the school’s Diversity Club created a dance team within the already existing club.

“We were interested in a mix of stepping, majorette, and hip-hop,” explains Olaniyi. “We thought it looked cool and just wanted to try it.”

At the time, Desiree Thigpen was in charge of the Diversity Club and had previous experience as a step coach. She teamed up with Coach Walker and from there the team was born.

Many members of the newbie team had zero dance experience…including Olaniyi.

“She had zero dance experience during her tryout,” says Walker, “I looked over the Mrs. Thigpen, who knew Tobi from Diversity Club and she was just kind of like ‘I promise, she’s a great girl.’”

Luckily, they gave Olaniyi a chance as she’s now credited as being the star of the team.

“She would stay after every practice to make sure she got something,” says Walker. “Now, she’s in the front row. She’s the one that everyone’s watching. She’s always been a leader, but she’s come a long way to really become a performer and amazing dancer.”

Olaniyi, while now an amazing dancer, says she has grown her skill, sure, but that she is most proud of how she has grown her confidence over the years.

“Because I didn’t have any dance experience, my confidence was low,” she explains. “I thought those who were older and more experienced were better than me. Over time, as I become more comfortable with the team and my coaches, my confidence sprouted not only with dance but overall.”

Olaniyi uses her newfound confidence to pay it forward with her team. She says, “as a leader of the team, I work really hard to try and make sure that everyone is comfortable. I always felt like the people older than me would judge me so I just want to make sure that everyone feels included.”

This is especially important for the Bremen Dance Team as Coach Walker says they’re not in it for the competitions or trophies, but the relationships.

“It’s never been about the trophies. It’s about the time we spend with each other.”

With a supportive team, the magic of dance, and a strong leader as team captain, it’s no wonder that the Bremen Dance Team has managed to stay in good spirits amid the ongoing pandemic.

“My personal goal is to just remember that dance is still there,” says Olaniyi. “During these times it kind of feels like everything is just a blur. I have to remember that dance is always in my corner and will be there to help me relieve stress."

After high school, Olaniyi will continue to lend her confidence and help to others as she aims to pursue a career in nursing. While she plans to make her education her priority, and knows that her studies will be time consuming, she will also look to see if there are any dance opportunities or teams who will be flexible with her schedule.

If anything, she says she’ll continue dancing in her spare time as a hobby by herself.

After all, dance is always in her corner.