Time To Face The Truth
NBC World of Dance / YouTube
He needed a few seconds to catch his breath. His heart was beating fast. His routine was finally over, but now he needed to face the judges. There's no way he could've predicted their reaction. He'd given it his all with the choreography he developed, and now, he was about to find out if it had paid off. Finally, he looked up and stared at the judges. Right at that moment, he felt like fainting on the floor.
Blended Family
Jaxon Willard Dance / Facebook
But to Jaxon Wilard, this routine meant the world and more. He had been fighting tooth and nail until this very moment. When he was a little kid, he was adopted by a Caucasian family who opened their home to little Jaxon. He spent his childhood in American Fork, Utah, which only had a 0.4% African-American population. And despite his family loving him to bits, it was still not easy for Jaxon to grow up being so different.
An Outcast
jaxonwillard / Instagram
Being the only African-American kid at school and on the block wasn't easy for Jaxon. Eventually, he became a target for bullies at school who made fun of him. Even well-intentioned folks didn't know how to treat him, which made him feel lonely and misunderstood. In a way, he felt like he just didn't belong there. Thankfully, his adoptive family had his back, particularly one person who always allowed him to express himself.
Dancing Changed Everything
jaxonwillard / Instagram
His sister enrolled Jaxon in an after-school ballroom dancing program when he was just 11. He could've never imagined just how much fun dancing could be, until one day, he got to witness his sister dance. She became Jaxon's inspiration, as she was the one who encouraged him to try and do his best. Jaxon quickly realized he was really good at dancing, and a whole new world suddenly opened up for the little boy. Finally, he discovered his passion, and this was only the beginning.
It Was Easy For Him
CarmoDance / YouTube
Once Jaxon was done with ballroom dancing, he quickly moved to other types of dance, such as jazz, hip-hop, ballet, and contemporary. He was able to blast some incredible moves, and his ability to choreograph his own routines came natural to him. But dancing was also his outlet. He was able to let out his frustrations, fears, and heartache, and turned all that inner turmoil into perfectly choreographed routines. He had finally found his calling, and he now wanted the whole world to watch him dance his heart out. But the road would prove to be full of obstacles.