CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — Lissa Beth is taking her dancing talents to the big leagues as she heads to Houston to join the Houston Rockets Clutch City Dancers.
She began dancing at two years old in her small hometown of Columbus, just north of Corpus Christi. She found an interest in all forms of dance, studying hip hop and even competitive cheer.
"I started out in baby ballet too and creative movement," Beth said.
In 2020, she started attending Texas A&M - Corpus Christi, where she studied biology and engaged in extracurricular activities with dance. While participating, she landed the role as the dance team's captain and was part of the first group to debut with the Islander Dance Company.
"I love dance because my brain shuts off," Beth said, "I don’t really think much and I just feel and express whatever the song is telling me to express."
Then one day, she realized that she wanted to pursue a professional career with dance and decided to attend a summer training camp with other former Houston Rockets dancers. There, she knew immediately that she wanted to take her dancing career further and audition for the Clutch City Dancers.
"I knew that I didn't want my dancing career to end after college," Beth said. "I was on the basketball court at TAMUCC and I got sad when I realized it would be over soon. I knew I had to do something about that."
After making the team, Beth said it's been nothing short of an outstanding experience. She said she's learned more about herself and the opportunity has encouraged her to push her talents past anything she's imagined.
“Dancing on court in the Toyota Center is insane," Beth said. "You have all these faces that you can see up close on the courtside. You see all of the smiling faces and you can see that people enjoy what you're doing and that makes me happy."
While being part of the Clutch City Dancers, Beth said she's also developed a bond with the other dancers, referring to it as a 'true sisterhood.' She said they keep her focused and influence her to following her dreams.
"I've learned so much from my teammates. I just want to continue getting better. I want to grow in all aspects of what it is to be a Clutch City Dancer. This means so much to me," Beth said.
As other young dancers look up to someone like Lissa Beth, she said her greatest advice for anyone following their dreams is to be relentless and to let their passion fuel their fire to keep going.
Beth said she wants to continue dancing until she can't anymore, thatshe's looking forward to her growth as a dancer and connecting with fans as she takes on Houston.
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