Amie Harris, the dance teacher and drill team director at Lake Ridge High School, spent the past decade shaping students into not only skilled dancers, but also disciplined, hardworking students, ready to take on the real world. She shares her love for dance with all the students who pass through her class.
Harris grew up in Houston, Texas, and she has been dancing her whole life. Despite her deep connection to dance, she originally planned a different career path.
“I started dancing at a young age. I was at a studio when I was growing up and then I was on the high school drill team,” Harris said. “I originally went to school to be an elementary teacher, then I realized I really missed dance, and that working with small children all the time is probably not for me. I just really missed being able to express myself with music and the physical aspect of dancing all day long.”
That realization led her to change her major, earning a Bachelor’s degree in Dance Education from Texas Tech University. Later, she pursued a Masters in Counseling from Angelo State University. Although passionate about dance, Harris didn’t initially have a set career plan. Eventually, she found her way back to dance.
“I had no idea what I was going to do with my degree. I was just floating around,” Harris said. “I was driving to visit my parents one evening, and I stopped to get gas near a football stadium. It was Friday night and halftime was happening. I saw the drill team out on the field, and something inside me just clicked.”
Harris’ path to Lake Ridge began through a personal connection. She attended a job fair at the University of Texas at Arlington, where she met school administrators. From the moment she arrived, Harris felt at home. Her first year teaching drill and dance confirmed that she had made the right choice.
“I had a friend who knew that this position was going to become open. My husband is a football coach, and he had gotten a job that was going to be moving us in this direction. I wasn’t nervous coming in. It just always felt right. The staff, the students, Lake Ridge is like a family,” Harris said, “It immediately felt like home, and I’ve enjoyed every minute of being here.”
With nineteen years of experience in public education and a deep love for dance, Harris built a career dedicated to helping students find their passion, whether they arrive in her class with years of experience or none at all. While Harris takes great pride in teaching dance, she believes her role extends far beyond choreography.
“I want to help them be better humans, not just better dancers. I want to help them learn how to be functioning adults in society when they graduate through dance,” Harris said. “The life lessons that we teach them throughout their dance experience isn’t just about pointing their toes, it’s learning to overcome certain hard situations or accommodate to things that are not always the easiest.”
One of the most rewarding aspects of her job is watching students evolve. As the drill team director, Harris leads her students through an intense, year-round schedule. The team’s calendar is packed with performances, competitions, and events.
“Drill Team season never ends. From when they make the team in March, we have practices after that to get them ready for summer camp. We have a week of summer camp, and then when they come back before school starts in August, we practice,” Harris said. “We have football season. We have two Christmas shows for the district, plus Toys for Tots. And then in January and February, we compete: three officer dances, three weekends in a row, plus we host, and then we have a spring show. So it really doesn’t have a stopping point.”
Like any educator, Harris has faced challenges throughout her career. Despite the challenges, the victories make it all worthwhile.
“The moment that a student finishes a routine or a performance, they have sweat and blood and muscle aches and they’ve cried through practices to get it. But the moment that they achieve something that they’ve been trying so hard to get and they’re successful at, it is just the best moment possible,” Harris said.
Her hard work and dedication was recognized with the Teacher of the Month award, an honor she never saw coming.
“When they told me, it was really awesome. I had no idea what they were doing coming into my classroom. That’s a really great honor. It’s just nice to know that all we put in is recognized,” Harris said. “I love being in the classroom and working directly with students. I really feel like this is where I belong.”
