Meet Jamie De La Cruz, a 13-year-old Bronx student who is leaving an impression on her community.
De La Cruz is the Bronx athlete and dancer getting attention from her community for her dedication and commitment to the arts. One person who can’t ignore the teen’s shine is her long-time basketball coach and friend, Jamie McCormick.
McCormick has been coaching De La Cruz since the third grade, watching her firsthand as she overcomes obstacles and pushes forward.
“I’ve been coaching for 30 years,” says McCormick, “but this kid is someone I had to make a call on. She’s a wonderful kid, she works really hard.”
McCormick can’t help but highlight De La Cruz’s loyalty to the sport and team, mentioning her ability to juggle responsibilities from her personal life and the responsibilities with playing for her middle school basketball team, the St. Clare’s Jaguars.
But apart from basketball, De La Cruz has also had a knack for dancing her whole life.
“I’ve always loved dancing,” she told the Bronx Times. “I always loved dancing to Meghan Trainer songs and filming my own videos.”
Her mother, Abby De La Cruz, noticed this talent early in her daughter’s life.
“At a very young age I’ve always seen her have a talent in dancing,” Abby De La Cruz said. “You can really see that there’s talent there.”
At 3 years old, Jamie De La Cruz attended a local dance studio called City Stage Dance Academy and has been honing her skills since. She shows gratitude to her community and people around her, saying they inspired her, pushed her and provided her with role models.
It wasn’t until the third grade, in fact, that Jamie started to show an interest in other sports — specifically basketball.
“She is very athletic. Even as a dancer, I was really surprised she was interested in sports,” recalled her mother.
After COVID-19 took control and caused students to participate in online classes and cease outdoor activities, Jamie De La Cruz began to develop a special interest in the genre of hip-hop.
She started training at a studio called Brickhouse NYC in Times Square for three years. With her passion and focus developing, Jamie De La Cruz auditioned for the Junior Knicks dance team in 2022 and made it.
“I was beyond excited, I was so grateful,” she told the Bronx Times.
Jamie De La Cruz remembers the room full of talented dancers and being scared but says she overcame her fears with reminders of why she loves to dance. It was a dream come true for both Jamie De La Cruz and her mother — seeing the court close for the audition, and dancing with peers while forming friendships and connections in the process.
“It’s been the best thing ever,” Jamie De La Cruz said. “I love to play basketball, I’ve been playing for the St. Clare Jaguars since the thrid grade and seeing live NBA games, and [so] dancing for them is just a dream come true.”
Jamie De La Cruz is surrounded by a supportive team who believes in her talent. Her St. Clares’ basketball teammates showed undying support as Knicks fans and as her friends.
“I haven’t seen them in years because I took time off for dance, but now that I’m back they are excited for me and always want to know more about what I do. They are very proud and supportive, especially the coaches,” said Jamie De La Cruz.
She takes inspiration from a lot of fellow dancers, like Nicole Laeno and Kristen Dodgen, who have made a name dancing with the Royal Family Dance Crew.
All of these exciting challenges can be distracting for a young girl, but Jamie De La Cruz’s mother assured the Bronx Times that school is a No. 1 priority for her daughter, still so young for how many accolades she already has. Her next step is LaGuardia High School.
For more coverage, follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram @bronxtimes
