I Chose ISU: Gage Horne, hip-hop dancer

Gage Horne wasn’t the first man to audition for the Bengal Dancers team. He was, however, the first one who made the cut.

It wasn’t an easy process for the hip-hop dancer and freshman majoring in dance. He heard about the auditions at the Welcome Week paint party sponsored by Student Affairs. Horne said he never turns down an opportunity to dance, so he decided to go for it. Although he was well-versed in hip hop, he didn’t know much about other dance styles, and he was nervous about how well he could do with the team. Horne, however, doesn’t back down from a challenge.

“Go full-out. If you choose something and go full out, your dream will happen. It’s a whole ripple effect,” he said. “I went home and I practiced like crazy.”

Horne made his Bengal Dancers debut at the Homecoming bonfire, and will continue to perform throughout the year. After graduation, he hopes to find a career in choreography or as a backup dancer. He is also considering owning his own dance studio one day.

The Pocatello native only began dancing five years ago, but he said it’s been his passion since the first dance lesson. Since then, he has danced in every event he can, including several talent shows, competitions and even a recent performance of Footloose at Mystique Theatre in Pocatello.

“I fell in love with it. I just got addicted,” he said. “Hip-hop is my love.”

When it came time to look at colleges, Horne assumed he would have to go to Utah to study dance. When he found out Idaho State University had a dance major, he was thrilled.

“I thought- ‘I can stay local and do what I love? Perfect,” he said.

Horne said ISU has surpassed his expectations.

“I really love it here. It’s just a beautiful place,” he said. “There more people I talk to here, the more people I love.”