The Wrangler: What inspired you to be a Belle?

Gillis: My love for dance and getting involved in school, dressing up, and things like that inspired me to be a Belle.

The Wrangler: Has being a Belle and making friends with them been easier to adjust to being at GR?

Gillis: I have people to talk to and I don’t have to walk around feeling clueless all the time. Plus, they are forced to hang out with me kind of because we see each other so often. It’s easier to adjust when others are adjusting with me.

The Wrangler: What are you most looking forward to this year for dance?

Gillis: I am looking forward to competition season, a Christmas parade coming up, and homecoming.

The Wrangler: Who has inspired you the most to do dance outside of school?

Gillis: When I started competition, my cousin had done it first and it looked so fun, so I said, “I want to do that.” So I guess my family. Also, my mom because she was on a dance team and then she quit because they tried to make her wear a cowboy hat and that was her limit.

The Wrangler: Who has inspired you the most to do dance within the GR dance program?

Gillis: Mrs. Suey and my directors inspire me to dance.

The Wrangler: When and why did you start dancing?

Gillis: I started dancing five years ago and I joined the competition team to copy my cousin and ended up falling in love with it.

The Wrangler: What would you say to a new Belle or someone who is just starting to dance?

Gillis: I would say to give it time and you are going to hate Mrs. Suey during boot camp. You’re going to hate your legs because they are going to hurt and just make sure that you give yourself enough time to recover from different things.

The Wrangler: What are you most looking forward to this year academically?

Gillis: I am most looking forward to passing my AP exam and taking the SAT which, I forgot I had to take.

The Wrangler: What do you feel is your greatest challenge this year?

Gillis: My greatest challenge has been time management.

The Wrangler: How do you plan to overcome this challenge?

Gillis: I hope to managing my time by keeping lists and having a planner.