POWERGRAMS

22 MSU, he oversaw instruction of students and faculty with the Ballroom Dance Club. His first job out of college in 2009 with an ad agency was short-lived. Smith bailed after six months and moved to Tupelo, where he competed and taught private and group lessons with The Dance Studio. He crossed partisan lines to teach dance at Ole Miss, while resuming lessons simultaneously at MSU. But bills must be paid, and in 2012 Smith joined Mississippi Power on the communications team, finding time to return to his high school alma mater to start an after-school ballroom dance program. "I enjoy dancing because of the barriers it breaks down," he says. "Two people might not even speak the same language, but when a salsa or bachata comes on, that doesn't matter." What does matter, he says, is "the thrill of getting on stage and executing something you have been working to perfect for months." But like most teachers and coaches, Smith says at the end of the day, what he does is about people – and it isn't a cliché. "Going all the way back to 2005 when I started at Mississippi State until now, I have seen countless people come out of their shells," Smith explains. "I have seen people grow and blossom into someone they never thought they could be. I have helped people achieve their dreams of performing and competing — something they never thought they could do. "I have seen people fall in love. I have been to their weddings. I have been exposed to other cultures I never thought I would. I have gained friends who will be a part of my life forever. All of this has been through dancing." Smith dances across nation with Clave Y Tumbao. L-R: Alexander Stepanov, Jorge Torres, Padrino Salsero, Smith, Jorge Ibanez.

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