☆ PAIGE CAMP ☆ Registered Nurse, Head Coach of Butler University Dance Team, and Indianapolis Colts Cheerleader
A shining star and role model within the dance community.
For this week’s edition of MTP we are exclusively featuring…
Paige Camp — Registered Nurse, Head Coach of Butler University Dance Team, and Indianapolis Colts Cheerleader
1. Take us through your dance journey and where you are now.
Like most dancers, I started when I was 3 years old. Fun fact, my very first dance teacher was the first Male Pacemate for the Pacers. I danced for 3 years on my high school dance team, graduating in 2014.
I attended the University of Kentucky from 2014 to 2018. While at Kentucky, I obtained my Bachelor of Science in Nursing and was a four-year member of the University of Kentucky Dance Team. We competed in UDA Nationals in D1A Pom and Hip Hop, with a second-place finish in 2017. While at the University of Kentucky, our team was selected to represent Team USA at the ICU world championships, earning silver medals in Pom and Hip Hop.
Following my college career, I immediately went into Coaching Butler University Dance Team. I served as an assistant coach to Coach Cassia Martin from 2018 to 2019, and moved to the head coach position the following year. I just finished my 4th season with BUDT.
I am in the process of earning my boots back for the Indianapolis Colts Cheerleaders for the 2022-2023 season! I loved my rookie season with the Colts and gained so much valuable experience in life, coaching, and dance.
2. Do you have a role model or mentor that has kept you motivated throughout your dance journey? If so, what have they taught you and what are some characteristics you admire about them?
I have so many incredible role models in my dance community, but one that has had the most impact on my life is Coach Cassia Martin. Coach Cassia took me in fresh out of college and showed me how to be a coach. Cassia has a gift with communication, goal sharing, work ethic, and just being a wonderful coach.
After my first season with BUDT, Cassia was hired as the Assistant Coach and
Choreographer for the Indianapolis Colts. Cassia remained a close friend and mentor during my first year of coaching without her, but it was so fun to see her lead by example with the Colts. Cassia and I spent two seasons apart, coaching our selective teams that are 20 minutes away from each other, until one afternoon we had a coffee date to catch up after our busy seasons. Cassia asked me what I thought about me becoming a cheerleader for the Colts and honestly, I was shocked at first. I thought my days of performing were in the past and I started to identify more with being on the coaching side of things. Cassia really inspired me to step out of my comfort zone and pursue NFL Cheerleading.
I truly believe I would not be the woman I am today if it wasn’t for Cassia Martin, and I have so much love and gratitude for her.
Colts Cheer Director Kelly Tilley has also been an incredible role model in my coaching career. Coach Kelly is such a strong leader and an incredible advocate for the program. Both Kelly and Cassia lead by example, which is why I believe they make such a great team for the Colts.
3. In what ways does the dance community inspire you to give back and serve as a mentor yourself?
I love my dance community so much. I am so honored to be able to share the field with 25 other incredible women on Colts Cheer.
Coaching the Butler University Dance Team brings me so much joy. I recently just graduated my first “class” of athletes, as I have seen them grow from a freshman in college into full young adults.
BUDT inspires me to give BUDT different opportunities for them to excel on and off the court. Seeing their growth in life helps me stay motivated to continue to find ways to improve in my career as well. BUDT is such a fabulous team to work with, and I am truly honored if they consider me to be a role model for them.
4. What is the best piece of advice you have been given to make it this far in the dance team world that you’d want to share with other dancers?
My favorite quote is “the sky is the limit!” We are all able to accomplish way more than we could have ever imagined. BUDT is embarking on a UDA journey, as we are set to compete in Div 1 Jazz in 2023. I hope that our team can go on this new challenge with enthusiasm and curiosity — which is something we can all make sure we do in our everyday life.
HUGE thank you to Paige for taking time out of her busy schedule to share with the MTP fam! Her passion, joy, and optimism is truly admirable. I hope this interview inspires you to do more and be more for yourself and for others as it did me.
This week’s interview piggy-backs off of last week’s topic: “WHO IS YOUR ROLE MODEL?”
Read and click on the link below for more in case you missed it! ;)
