BLAINE, Minn. — Layne Wayman basically lives at Northern Force Dance Company.
"I'm here five to six days a week," said Wayman.
The Anoka native is a high school graduate now, which means it's time to leave one home for another.
"I will be going to Arizona State University and going on their dance team."
He may be soft-spoken, but his dancing speaks for itself, which is probably why he is the first male to make the Sun Devil team.
"I was kind of shocked because I messed up a little bit and I was thinking, 'I don't know if I made the team or not,'" said Wayman. "I got the email, and I was like, 'Whoa! This is actually happening.' I got all these emails and all these text messages and everyone was DMing me."
His dance teacher, Kara Bode, wasn't surprised to see Layne's success, but she made sure to prepare him for the worst.
"I just had reservations just because I didn't want him to feel like his worth was because he was a male if he didn't make it," said Bode. "We had several conversations about it, and I said, 'At this point, all you can do is go and put your best foot forward.'
For Layne, the bold choice to try out for a team on the opposite side of the country wasn't something he could see himself doing on his own.
"I've been able to talk to people more and not be so shy," said Wayman. "Now going up to people and talking to new people has been way easier which Northern Force has really helped me with."
"It's just been fun to see him grow in his self-esteem," said Bode. "And how he feels like he can be himself and he can let his real colors shine. It's been really fun to see that he knows he's so valued."
As Layne says goodbye to his team, his groundbreaking success lights the way for those still dancing at Northern Force.
"I just hope that if there's any other younger guys out there, they know that they can do it," said Wayman. "They can be on the college dance team. Don't let any of the bullies get you down. Just push past it and keep going, and know that you can do it. Just believe in yourself."
Northern Force Dance Company is hosting its annual showcase over the first weekend in June and will travel to Daytona Beach, FL for nationals later this summer.
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