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Girl's Dancing Brings Smiles

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By MEGAN HUSSEY

Tribune Correspondent

Published: January 18, 2009

Eight-year-old Jessie Hart has danced at the Wesley Chapel Performing Arts Center and taken top honors at her school's "Lacoochee Idol" talent show.

But her favorite place to perform is at the Royal Oak Nursing Center in Dade City.

"She tells me, 'Grandma, I think I put a smile on every one of their faces,'" said Vickie Hart, Jessie's grandmother. Her sister, Joyce Bush, is Royal Oak's director.

It was Jessie, a third-grader at Lacoochee Elementary School, who suggested performing at the nursing home. She sang and danced there in October and again last month, when she brought along homemade gifts - candy canes with pipe cleaner antlers. She's scheduled to perform in February at the Driftwood Nursing Home in Zephyrhills and plans on going back to Royal Oak, too.

"I like making them happy," Jessie said. "They tell me I'm beautiful and ask for encores."

"She brings a lot of smiles," said Bush. "She reminds them of their grandchildren."

Jessie started dancing at Blackwood Studios in Dade City when she was 4. Right now, she's taking five classes: acrobatics, tap, ballet, pre-jazz, and Little Stars, a special class for younger dancers.

She recently performed her first ballet solo at Blackwood Studios' year-end performance at the Wesley Chapel Performing Arts Center; next up is a group performance at the Kumquat Festival.

"She's just a performer from the word 'go,'" said Sally Blackwood, director of Blackwood Studios. "She's diverse and loves every kind of performing. She's amazing and has so much energy."

Jessie added singing to her repertoire about a year ago, and in April 2007 she used a song and dance routine - a rendition of the Taylor Swift song, "Tim McGraw," plus an acrobatics act - to become Lacoochee Elementary's first "Lacoochee Idol."

She was also recently named the school's student of the month. She's a straight-A student whose favorite subject is reading; she also shows plants and animals in the 4-H program. Last year, she was won a Grand Champion honor at the Pasco County Fair. This year, she plans to show plants and hogs at the fair.

In part, she attributes her success to an organized schedule.

"I go to dance class three times a week and go to 4-H every two weeks," she said. "When I'm at home, I like to listen to music, especially Taylor Swift."

Jessie's success also can be attributed to a refined balance of talent and modesty, according to her grandmother.

"She's not bashful and likes being the center of attention, but she's also humble," said Hart. "She just thinks that that's the way life is, to take advantage of every opportunity to show your talent."

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