Lighthouse Point native leading FSU dance troupe

Lighthouse Point’s Taylor Donohue has been involved with dance since age 3, and her longevity and experience with the sport has paid off. She was recently named captain and coach of the Seminole Dance Force squad at Florida State University (FSU) in Tallahassee.

The 22-year-old senior, voted to leadership by her teammates, is intent on rewarding that confidence in upcoming dance competitions.

The student-run organization has been in existence for more than a decade and hopes to improve on the high standards set by the 2014-15 group, which finished in eighth place in the National Dance Alliance Collegiate Championships at Daytona Beach in April.

The troupe of 38 members must go through auditions every year to make the team. This year, more than 100 dance hopefuls auditioned.

In addition to the National Dance Alliance competition, the troupe is involved with FSU homecoming performances and various showcases. Donohue is responsible for running practices, coordinating costumes and schedules, and dealing with school officials.

“Dance has taught me many life lessons, like discipline and learning how to multitask,” Donohue said. “We compete against many other schools that are fully funded by their school and have coaches and a staff, while we have that responsibility on our shoulders.”

Donohue is using all the painful lessons she learned from her past injuries to become a physical therapist specializing in dance. Overcoming ankle surgery and various other ailments is all part of the game, and she said she wouldn’t change anything.

Perhaps no one knows Donohue’s abilities better than the owner and director of RealDance Studio, Suzanne Citere. The Lighthouse Point resident helped train Donohue from her childhood years.

“Taylor is at a very high dance level and could step right on any professional stage,” Citere said. “No one has handed her anything, and she has the ability to put her nose to the grindstone, never complain and work super hard. She loves dance and believes in her team. I’m not at all surprised that she was selected by her teammates. She is the total package with skills, looks and personality. I’m very proud of her.”