Kymberlee Garcia is the BHS Dance Team coach, Algebra 2 and Concepts of Geometry teacher.

“I started dancing when I was two years old, at a studio that was in my dance teacher’s basement,” Garcia said. “I started so young, so I guess my parents are what got me into it. But as time went on, it became one of the things I enjoyed most.”

Garcia has worked in the Baldwin school district for 4 years as a para, a special education teacher and then a high school mathematics teacher. Her first year coaching at BHS was the 2016 and 2017 school year, but she has been teaching dance for many years prior.

“I started teaching ballet and modern dance at a studio when I was 14 and continued with that through high school,” Garcia said. “Once in college, I coached a competitive high school dance team for two years. When I started teaching at Hutchinson High school, I coached the dance team for 4 years before moving here to Baldwin.“

Taking the role of dance team coach and math teacher is not always an easy workload to balance, in addition to spending time with family.

“Coaching and teaching is definitely a balancing act. There is definitely a lot of time spent outside of the classroom or practice getting things ready,” Garcia said. “I usually pick a day of the weekend to work on either. Saturdays are usually spent working on dance, learning routines, cutting music, etc., and Sundays are usually spent working in the classroom updating grades and making lesson plans.”

Making sure to take advantage of the talent that is given to her, Garcia holds tryout for the BHS Dance Team at the beginning of the school year and turns the students into a hard working team that is always ready to perform come game day.

“Building a dance family (is the best part of coaching dance team) that continues to grow every year,” says Garcia. “I have been very blessed with the hard working individuals that have crossed my path. Seeing each of them grow as a dancer and as a person is always fun.“

The teammates all have a close relationship with Garcia, and love to dance.

“She’s developed a strong relationship with everyone, so we can tell her anything,” Sophomore Addy Trendel said. “She will let us talk and bond, but she will still get us to work hard and become a great team.”