Marlon Manueles is the only male dancer on the drill team. Since he was last inducted into the Dazzlers, Manueles has gained district wide recognition at football games, found himself a second family, and is planning the future that lays in front of him. Aside from his everyday life, Manueles has proven that dance is not only a hobby but a lifestyle.

If Manueles knows anything about haters, it is that they are going to hate. Manueles breaks down stereotypes and describes how his passion and love for dance overshadows what other people think of him.

“I do get some criticism, but as long as I’m happy and I’m loving it and I’m having fun, it doesn’t matter to me,” Manueles said. “At the end it’s just worth it because it’s my passion and it’s my life and I love it.”

A motivation that drives and a spark that ignites, Manueles’ passion is never ending as he addresses what he wishes to accomplish through his dancing.

“My motivation is mostly that I want to show other people how hard I work for this,” Manueles said. “I also want to show any incoming male dancers that want to tryout the dedication that has to be put forth and that it can be done. I didn’t just join dance to say that I dance, it’s more to show what I love doing.”

Manueles genuinely acknowledges the praise and support he gets during football games and how much it has impacted him that people take notice of what he has worked so hard for.

“Lots of parents, they’re like ‘I love that you did so good,'” Manueles said. “A lot of students say how good I look, and I really appreciate people enjoying what I do. All my passion goes towards this and I hope they feel the same way once they see me dance.”

As his senior year as Dazzler comes to a close, Manueles notes that dance has made him look at life from a new perspective.

“Last year, I was saying that after my senior year, I was done with dance,” Manueles said. “But now I’m realizing that doing it every day and thinking about not doing it anymore scares me, so I think I might be planning to keep on doing it throughout college.”

Being in Dazzlers for a very little time has given Manueles a lifetime of memories to realize that he has found one true family that lasts forever.

“My favorite memory was when we had this Destination Unknown, an annual surprise trip for the Dazzlers, and as a whole team we went and then we spent the night at this house,” Manueles said. “And we all just bonded and got to know each other on a whole other level and I feel like I’m so much closer to the girls. I think they say the same thing we’re just this one big family.”

Lastly, at the end of his senior year, Manueles will leave his legacy as the first male Dazzler, but he wants to be remembered by something much more powerful.

“I want to be remembered as that guy that changed those point of view of people and kind of like gender rules but more so in dance,” Manueles said. “Like drill team doesn’t have to be a set thing, you can as your committed guys and girls can join it. And that I never gave up for what I wanted.”