小蝌蚪APP

Untapped Talent: Former Tap Dancer Has Sights on Physical Therapy

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Posted on November 3, 2021

Thomas Becnel

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#FreshmanFocus is a series of stories on incoming students at the University of South Alabama.

Kaylyn Cordrey grew up dancing in Delaware. She was a soloist for a competitive tap team called the Alley Cats. They won regional and national championships.

Years of tap and ballet, though, took its toll.

鈥淏eing in dance for so long, I鈥檝e accumulated so many different injuries,鈥� she said. 鈥淚鈥檝e rolled my ankle so many times I can barely feel it. I can鈥檛 feel the top of my toes.鈥�

Cordrey laughs. A dancer鈥檚 life.

Her injuries and time in rehabilitation led her to consider a career in physical therapy. She鈥檚 majoring in exercise science at the 小蝌蚪APP.

She鈥檚 chose South because of a scholarship she won from the national Distinguished Young Women organization, which is based in Mobile. She learned about the group from a dance friend.

鈥淪he told me, 鈥楾here鈥檚 this organization that you have to get involved with 鈥� I鈥檝e been telling them all about you,鈥欌�� Cordrey said. 鈥淪o I went out and did that, and there was this competition where I tap danced and I won.鈥�

She comes from the small town of Millsboro in southern Delaware. Her mother is a former attorney who became a schoolteacher. Her dad is a graphic artist with a sports video business.

鈥淚 get my drive and determination from my mom,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 get my creativity from my dad.鈥�

When Cordrey moved to Alabama, she left all of her dance shoes back in Delaware. She鈥檚 a college student now. This is a new chapter in her life.

At South, she lives on campus. She鈥檚 a sneaker addict who likes jeans and Jaguar tops. She still wears her high school graduation ring.

In Millsboro, Cordrey worked part-time at a pizza restaurant. She also did 75 hours in a physical therapy clinic, which turned her attention to pediatric care.  

鈥淚 learned that I didn鈥檛 want to work with adults or athletes,鈥� she said. 鈥淵ou know, we athletes, we鈥檙e never going to say things hurt, because we always want to compete. With kids, they鈥檙e going to tell you exactly what happened, where it hurts, and what they had for lunch. They鈥檙e funny. They have no filter whatsoever.鈥�

Was it hard moving all the way from Delaware to Alabama?

鈥淢y mom and my little sister came down when I moved in. My mom cried. She was like, 鈥業 can鈥檛 leave you.鈥� And I鈥檓 like, 鈥榊ou can leave. You鈥檒l be fine.鈥欌��

How does it feel being on your own?

鈥淲ell, I went grocery shopping by myself for the first time. Don鈥檛 go grocery shopping when you鈥檙e hungry. That鈥檚 what I learned.鈥�

You sound like you鈥檙e from the Northeast. Can you understand Southern accents?

鈥淣o. Especially the first week, it was a lot of 鈥榃hat? What did you say?鈥� A lot of my friends are from Montgomery, Birmingham or Gadsden. I鈥檓 like, 鈥榊ou have to speak up and enunciate.鈥欌��

What about South Alabama football? You watch the Jags?

鈥淥h, I鈥檝e been to all the football games. It鈥檚 new for me, watching a team win. In high school, our sports teams were terrible. Our football team lost every game. It鈥檚 nice when your team wins so you can celebrate.鈥�

Have you gotten to explore much of Mobile?

鈥淚 went roller skating for the first time with some of my friends. I fell every time, flat on my behind. It hurt and I hated it. I told them, 鈥業鈥檒l drop you off next time.鈥欌��

What鈥檚 been more fun?

鈥淲e play volleyball in the pool at the Student Rec Center. So much fun. There鈥檚 a volleyball net in this vortex area where the water swirls around 鈥� which is weird, because you can get carried away. Once you get your footing, though, you can play.鈥�

What about your classes?

鈥淚鈥檝e got math, English and kinesiology. My psychology class is hard. My public speaking class is easy. With Distinguished Women, I鈥檝e done a lot of speaking.鈥�

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