Tea Hayes, 9, danced in front of thousands during two recent Detroit Pistons Basketball games with Jr. Automotion, a highly competitive dance team for girls ages 7-11.
"It was really fun," said Tea, a fourth-grader at Morrish Elementary School. "There was a lot of people watching us." Rebecca Girard, the dance team director for the Detroit Pistons , said more than 120 candidates compete to participate in Jr. Automotion, and 25 girls were selected for the team this year.
The team performs two or three times during the season, she said.
"It just gives them a chance to dance professionally and to work with professional dancers," she said.
Tea decided to audition after hearing about the team through her studio, Smooth Steps Dance and Gymnastics on Miller Road in Swartz Creek, said her mom, Andreah Hayes of Mundy Township.
She auditioned in early December, and was really surprised when she got the phone call telling her she made it.
"She loves it," Hayes said. "She just had a blast."
Tea said she was comfortable dancing in front of thousands.
"I just have fun," she said.
Alison Williston, owner and Tea's teacher at Smooth Steps Gymnastics and Dance, said Tea works hard and adds something that draws the audience's attention.
"She takes ownership of the stage when she dances," she said.
Tea is the first girl from the Smooth Steps studio to make it into Jr. Automotion, she said.
"It's a lot of hard work to make it," she said.
Tea started dancing at 3, Hayes said. In her second year of dance, her instructor suggested moving her to the pre-competetition class.
That's when Hayes realized the potential of her daughter's talent, she said.
"From there on it kind of snowballed," she said.
She said for the first four weeks, Tea screamed before every class.
"It was definitely a funny beginning for where she is now," she said.
Tea participated in her first competition when she was 5, and now she participates in any competition she can, said Hayes. She's involved in gymnastics, cheerleading and lyrical, ballet, jazz, clogging, and hip hop dance.
"She likes to be on the stage," said Hayes. "I think more than anything with Tea, she's an entertainer."
Tea said she wants to be a professional dancer when she grows up, and may be on the Automotion Team some day.
This year, she hopes to get the highest honors possible on her solo in hip hop dance.
"My goal this year is to try to get a platinum for my solo," said Tea.
She also loves math, plays Basketball and participates in honors choir at school.
