Lights dim, the beat drops, and junior Daniel Broxton gets ready to lay out his craft upon the dance floor.

Broxton who has been creating his moves since he was eight years old executes the creative style of hip-hop.

Broxton is just one of the many students here at school with talent, determination, and skills.

“I first started to make dancing out as a hobby and in the fifth grade I first started performing,” Broxton said. “I gave up dancing when I got to the eighth grade and in the ninth grade I started dancing again and I have been dancing ever since.”

Along with many years of practice, Broxton has since been given multiple opportunities to show off his hip-hop style to his fellow classmates.

“I teach a class at school, it’s the hip-hop class and it’s going well,” Broxton said. “I was given the opportunity by Jeremy Sanchez, David Leath, and Tonya Kallefelz. I’m able to work with dance one class and go over the basics of hip-hop with them.”

Broxton is a hard worker according to Kallefelz and is doing his best to show the passion he has for the sport.

“I’ve given him a chance to help spread his wings and help teach the class and so far he has done a fabulous job,” Kallefelz said.

Teaching the beginnings of hip-hop, Broxton’s supporters have had a major impact on his artistry.

“I can see his compassion for dance,” Kallefelz said. “I feel like dance is one of the ways he expresses himself and when he gets out on the floor his movements just scream awesomeness.”

Along with this support, Broxton has many inspirations that contribute to his creativity.

“Jeremy Sanchez is the biggest inspiration,” Broxton said. “He brought me back into dance. He helped me create this and I dance for him to share his story.”

Sanchez was an Akins 2012 graduate who passed away last summer. The two were good friends and showed a passion for hip-hop and the creative dance that has developed from that sound. Broxton is still showing everyone the passion Sanchez had for the craft and the legacy he left behind.

“Unfortunately his time came too soon and passed away but I know he would still want people to know how he felt about dance,” Broxton said. “I know how hard he wanted people to enjoy it and that was his story, he kept people going with dance.”

Working hard on the floor has also helped Broxton in school and created a positive impact.

“After I got back into dancing I started wanting to achieve more in school,” Broxton said. “I had gained a more positive mind set.”

Dancing, once a hobby to Broxton, has become a true passion and he is making his moves on figuring out a way to make a living from it.

“Dancing is a big passion of mine,” Broxton said. “I choose to leave being something that would make me rich to something that I could love doing and be happy about and create success with.”

Once Broxton graduates, he plans to start his career as soon as possible and has even bigger plans in the future.

“I plan on taking professional classes and hopefully teaching classes still,” Broxton said. “ I’m going to make videos and put my work out there for people to see and eventually when I’m older I will build dance studios.”

Though a dancer to many of his peers, Broxton feels he is an artist when it comes to the creativity of dance.

“I like to call myself an artist when I dance,” Broxton said. “I feel the emotions and I paint pictures and stories, I want people to see the way I view things, to connect with the the pictures I paint and the stories that I tell.”

On the dance floor Broxton feels that is truly his place to be and is able to be his happiest.

“Dance helps me release whatever it is that is keeping me from being happy or it just shows my happiness,” Broxton said. “The best part of it is just having fun, especially in an environment with other dancers or people who like watching you dance.”

With passion, determination, and inspiration, Broxton is headed far in the world of dance.

“He has grown so much as a dancer, and I feel like this is just the beginning for him,” Kallefelz said. “He has good potential to achieve what he wants.”

With potential and many other positive qualities Broxton is sure to be seen performing the best of moves in the future.

“Everyone inspires me, no matter who you are, the support keeps me going and allows me to express myself,” Broxton said.