Serenity Thomas, Third-grader, Union County, New Jersey
Kassidy Lighten, Fourth-grader, Elizabeth, New Jersey (pictured above)
Are you two good pals?
Kassidy: Oh yes, and we have a lot in common.
Serenity: We play Roblox over the phone.
Kassidy: Also we both have a little sister and have the same opinion
of them.
Did you meet through double Dutch?
Serenity: Yeah. At first, I didn’t really know her, then I got to see her personality. She’s nice.
Kassidy: And I’m crazy.
Serenity: No, I don’t think so.
Kassidy: I am. Teachers love me because I’m funny and energetic.
Kassidy, what was your first sense of Serenity?
Kassidy: I don’t want to be mean, but she was kind of mean, but also 90 percent nice. She’s also funny. Sometimes she falls, out of nowhere!
Serenity: Yeah, on purpose, I’ll fall.
Would you say you’re clumsy?
Serenity: I’m clumsy at home but not while I’m jumping. When I’m jumping, I can’t be.
Kacey Pope
Seventh-grader, Washington, D.C.
Jade Hardrick
Seventh-grader, Jersey City, New Jersey
Luca Baumgartner
Tenth-grader, Hungary
How long have you been doing double Dutch?
Eleven years. I’ve been in competitions multiple times in Belgium and the U.K. as well as France and Germany. This is my first time in New York. We saw the hotel from Home Alone and the bridge in Central Park where Kevin met the lady. Home Alone is my favorite movie.
Zenia Jackson
Sixth-grader, Aiken, South Carolina
Quran Johnson
Teacher and coach, Newark, New Jersey
What’s it like coaching double Dutch?
My relationship to those kids—it’s like they are my kids. One could call me right now with an issue and I would drop everything I’m doing to run to them. They bring me so much joy, which is why I went into teaching, too.
Lacie Doolittle
Coach, Wagener, South Carolina
Suraiya Wilkerson
Seventh-grader, Washington, D.C.
Dakota Johnson
Eighth-grader, Chicago, Illinois
Kamille Sherrill
Sixth-grader, Jersey City, New Jersey
Tell me about the routine you performed today.
For our fusion routine, which is creative, we did the Grinch. I was a schoolgirl who is the odd one out, and my cousin was dressed up as a Grinch who takes my toys. I chased him around and then he made faces at all of us. My teammates were all schoolgirls too.
Yuri T.
Third-grader, New Jersey
Gia’Vonie Forrest
Seventh-grader, Washington, D.C.
Ali Williams
Sixth-grader, Aiken, South Carolina
How did you get in the zone to compete today?
We said a prayer — we asked God to help us and give us his strength to jump and make no mistakes. Every time we do that, I think we do really good. Today, my singles team won first place.
Amya Hunter
Fourth-grader, Newark, New Jersey
What was your favorite part of the Holiday Classic?
When it was my turn. I was kind of nervous but then that nervousness went away because I started to realize I could do it. I started to think that it was just me on the floor and nobody else was there. It was just very fun.
Lawrence Stakes
Eighth-grader, Brownsville
Maya K.
Fifth-grader, River Edge, New Jersey
Jewel Hardrick
Seventh-grader, Jersey City, New Jersey
Iman Whitfield
Seventh-grader, Landover, Maryland
Are you enjoying your trip to New York?
We got here yesterday after a four-hour bus ride. My coaches had some surprises for us. We were on a billboard in Times Square, and they took us to the Hershey store and I got a Reese’s hot chocolate. That’s my favorite chocolate.
Shaniya Charles
Eighth-grader, Chicago, Illinois
Photographs by Frankie Alduino
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