Whiz Kid: Positive Dancer Takes Attitude to the Big Stage

This week’s Whiz Kid is Kaitlyn Smith, a dancing, singing senior at Mehlville High School.

Name: Kaitlyn Smith

School: Mehlville High School

Grade: 12

Accomplishment: Not only is Smith fourth in her class at Mehlville, she is a Muny Teen and volunteers her time around St. Louis.

Key to Awesomeness: Smith has been dancing since the age of 3, but really fell in love with competitive dance when she was eight.

“I realized it was something that I loved,” she said. “Around fourth or fifth grade, I realized I loved singing, too. I love to make people smile and make them happy.”

For the last five years, Smith has performed at the Muny and was selected as a Muny Teen last year. The group tours around St. Louis and performs reviews of the shows. Members also volunteer and have random performances all around the city.

“The Muny is a great atmosphere,” she said. “Getting the real experience of it has really helped me better myself. Observation is always great, and I’ve learned from so many teachers."

Aside from her time at the Muny, Smith acts in community theater. She performed in Beauty and the Beast last year and will be playing Kim in Bye Bye Birdie in the fall. In a twist of fate, Smith has already performed in these plays for the Muny.

At , Smith continues her love of performing by . This year, she takes over as a captain of the dance squad.

“This is something huge for me because I’ve been involved in this group since I was a freshman in high school,” she said. “The coach is fabulous, she is a great motivation to me and has always supported me.”

After high school, Smith plans to attend a college and major in musical theater. She’s applying to schools now and said she can’t imagine doing anything else.

“I’m doing this for a reason, I’m doing what I love,” she said. “I could picture myself being a lot of things… a lawyer, teacher or doctor, but I always thought of it as, as an actress, I could be all three of those.”