Cooper Mann: Dancer, Model, Actor, Choreographer, Community Volunteer, & NBHS Senior
I truly don’t remember a time when music and dancing were not part of my life; my family has always told me that I was moving to music before I was walking. When I was little, I would watch Michael Jackson videos with my older brother Tim and then Tim would learn the dance moves, I knew I wanted to do the same. I was 6 years old when I followed my brother through the doors of Kara Anderson’s Dance Studio in town, it changed my life for the better. That year I went to every dance competition to watch my brother and the team, I loved it, I wanted that. Two years later I was asked to be a member of the KADS competition team. I have trained in hip hop, jazz, ballet, lyrical, contemporary, tap and musical theater. I had no idea the doors dance would open for me.
Three years ago, I signed a contract with the Tina Kiniry Modeling and Acting Agency in West Hartford CT. I have had the pleasure of modeling for Hasbro, Heely’s, Six Flags, multiple boutiques in CT, being an extra in movies and posed for magazines. Two years ago, I attended the International Modeling and Talent Association convention in Manhattan. At the convention I competed in modeling, dance and acting with my agency. I received an honorable mention for Actor of the Year, 2nd runner up for fashion print and I was Dancer of the Year. Two of my favorite moments from that trip was being chosen as a principal dancer for the Nicole Miller Fashion Show and performing my jazz solo at the banquet in front of over 2000 guests, it was exhilarating. I have now signed contracts with Bicoastal Management in Manhattan and The Rock Agency in Chicago.
I love modeling and acting however dance is my passion, I feel most like myself when I perform. I have been competing for 9 years, and I have won 14 Regional titles and 2 National titles for my dance solos along with multiple scholarships. My teachers at the studio that I learn from every week, Kara Anderson and Miranda Desplaines, have been a huge inspiration. Miss Miranda was my very first teacher at the studio, she introduced me to hip hop. I loved going to see her every week and I have learned so much from her over the years. Miss Kara is more than my studio director; she is who I want to make proud when I take that stage because she has invested so much time into me. You spend so much time at the studio that they become your family and their support means everything. I do want to mention that the past 3 years I have been learning from Skooj Core-o (Sarah-Kay) who pushed me right out of my comfort zone even when I didn’t want it, but it was for the best.
Recently I have started to choreograph, which allows me to put a little more of myself into my craft. It is not easy to put your own work out there for others to judge but the feedback that I have received has enabled me to grow even more in my dance. I love taking what I have learned over the years and compiling it into a dance to music that I love. This spring I will be interning at the studio, and I am really looking forward to teaching choreography. More importantly I want
other boys to learn that dance is not just for girls, it is for everyone. I know that it is not easy to try something that is out of the norm for us small town boys but take that risk, it is worth it. I took that risk, it was not easy, I was made fun of by those that did not understand the world that I was getting to experience. I have met so many people because of dance, I got to be on set of a move that starred Austin Butler, Bad Bunny and Matt Smith. I was able to meet Derek Hough
and even had the opportunity to dance and get advice from him. Last year I had a judge at a competition tell me that after he saw me dance, he texted the choreographers for The Outsiders the Musical, I will never forget how that felt. I want other boys to know to ignore the haters and follow what they want to do.
This is my senior year of high school which means my final year of being a member of the Kara Anderson’s Competition team. I am taking more than just memories with me, I am taking the lessons that I have learned, the confidence that I have gained and the knowledge that hard work is rewarded. I do not regret a single moment and will forever be grateful that my older brother was brave enough to take dance then encouraged me to do the same. I do not know what the future will hold for me, but I do know that dance will always be part of my life because it is part of me.
To view Cooper’s body of work, please click links below:
https://www.youtube.com/@coopermann23/shorts
https://www.youtube.com/@coopermann23/videos
https://www.instagram.com/coopermann1/
Courtesy of the Spencer New Leader
