Ms. Guidry’s passion for dance is clear to anyone who walks into one of her classes at the Upper School. That passion is also what took her from a small town in Louisiana to one of the most prestigious stages in the world.
Growing up in Baton Rouge, Louisiana, Ms. Guidry—or Ms. Tess, as she’s known to her students—always knew she wanted to dance, but her path toward it wasn’t always easy. She reached a significant hurdle when she auditioned for the Louisiana State University Golden Girls dance team and faced rejection twice. But instead of giving up, Ms. Guidry took it as a challenge.
“Being told no was hard, but it taught me how seriously I needed to take this if I wanted it,” she said.
Eventually, her perseverance paid off. She made the Golden Girls on her third attempt, but then she set her sights even higher. She wanted to become a Dallas Cowboys Cheerleader, a role that so many dancers consider to be the pinnacle of professional cheerleading.
The transition from the collegiate level to the professional world was no small feat for Ms. Guidry. As a DCC, she found herself not just performing, but also learning how to navigate the demands of a professional dance career. The audition process alone took three months, and every step of the way brought opportunities to be cut.
“The first year felt like an audition the entire time,” Ms. Guidry admitted.
She balanced rehearsals, performances, and even a part-time job. She often felt stretched to her limit. “In college, you’re a student first, but once you’re in the professional world, it becomes your job,” Ms. Guidry explains.
But the drive that had gotten her through her Golden Girls setbacks kept her going.
Her five-year tenure with the DCC was filled with unforgettable moments, including serving as a captain and participating in the reality TV show “Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders: Making the Team.” “Being in leadership roles helped me realize my passion for directing and leading a team,” she said.
It was this passion for leadership that ultimately led Ms. Guidry to coaching and teaching. After moving to Miami, she joined the University of Miami as the head coach and choreographer for the Hurricanettes, their dance line.
Yet it was her deep connection to her own high school dance experience that drew her to Ransom Everglades. “High school is when I fell in love with dancing for athletics and performing for my school,” Ms. Guidry shared. When the opportunity arose to build and develop an Upper School dance program at RE, she knew it was the perfect fit.
Today, Ms. Guidry is passing on the lessons she learned to her students at RE, and her experiences as both a performer and a leader have shaped her teaching philosophy. “If you do take a break from it and start to feel drawn to it again, return to it because dance is always there for us,” Ms. Guidry said, repeating a piece of advice she shares often with her students.
Ms. Guidry’s students admire her teaching style, which balances discipline with encouragement. For students like Mia Vasa ’28 and Alba Sandelman ’28, her classes are more than just technical training; they are a much-needed break from the stresses of the school day.
“Dance just revives me,” said Sandelman. “It makes me work my brain, and then I’m ready for my next class. Like, I can do this.”
For Vasa, Ms. Guidry has helped her improve in ways she hadn’t expected, particularly with her technique. “She made me more aware of small things, such as prepping for turns and fixing my foot placement.”
Ms. Guidry’s influence goes beyond the dance studio. Fellow performing arts teacher Ms. Laura Montes, who has collaborated with Ms. Guidry on productions such as last year’s “Chicago,” praised her ability to work with students of all levels. “She was wonderful in bringing in her own dancers and working with cast members who didn’t have a dance background,” Ms. Montes said.
For Ms. Guidry, dance is a way of life. She encourages her students to embrace the same mindset. “As long as you’re enjoying it, whatever dance is supposed to bring you into your life, that will happen,” Ms. Guidry said. Whether her students continue dancing in college, pursue professional opportunities, or simply carry the lessons of dance into other areas of their lives, she believes they’re leaving her class with more than just steps and choreography.
While making the Dallas Cowboys Cheerleaders team after three months of auditions was a “relief” and an “I made it” moment for her, what she’s most proud of now is watching her students discover their own potential. “I hope that being in the dance class not only pushes students artistically but also helps build responsibility and leadership skills,” Ms. Guidry reflected. “We’re going to become better dancers, but we’ll definitely become better students, better people, and feel more confident going into any room, whether it’s a dance studio, a classroom, or a job interview.”
