65,000 views in 8 hours.
On Thursday afternoon, that’s how many people saw 7-year-old Staige Santa Cruze break it down in the 2018 Sudan Second Line, and they weren’t even at the parade.
Rap legend Missy Elliot tweeted a video of Staige, commenting that the youngster’s swag was the way Elliot wanted to roll into the new year; focused. Even when her right shoe came off mid-air during a buckjump, Staige wasn’t phased. She kept it moving.
Me making my way into 2019 🙌🏾 letting NO distractions stop me (focused) even if a shoe come off🤣🤷🏾♀️or a frontal or your edges come out You STILL NEED TO KEEP MOVING ayyye💃🏾🕺🏾👋🏾She snapping!👏🏾🔥☂️💜💜 pic.twitter.com/5C7JiU2L9q
— Missy Elliott (@MissyElliott) November 15, 2018
Staige started dancing fours years ago, following the footsteps of her father and grandfather, who are members of Sudan and the Footwork Family clubs. She also participates in a dancing group called Kids Nation.
Her mother, Sophia Davenport, started an Instagram about two years ago. It wasn’t long before videos posted to her page and photographer Brandon Shelly’s page, better known as Itchy World on Instagram, went viral.
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“She was really young, and I would say, ‘Look at this video,’” Davenport recalls. “I would show her all the likes and comments and she would be like, ‘Wow, everybody is watching me?’”
While she might the center of attention at the second line, Staige says she doesn’t feel it when she moves.
“I don’t pay attention to everyone, it’s like I’m by myself,” she said. “I feel happy. I get so excited because I get to move a lot and dance.”
When she saw Missy Elliot posted a video of her, Staige was ecstatic.
“I felt like I was a star,” she said.
Her mother said just like her unique name, she’s far from average.
“I can show you a sheet of paper from way back in 2010,” Davenport remembers. “When I was writing every name I could think of. And once I had her, all of the other names went out of the window. The day I had to pick a name, everything was saying Staige. Ever since, I’ve been saying, ‘Oh my God, I named her the right name.’
Carrying on the second line tradition is something that runs through Staige’s blood, and she takes it in stride.
“She so helpful, considerate, smart,” Davenport said. “Everybody always says she has an old soul like she’s been here before.”
All photos and video courtesy Sophia Davenport and Brandon Shelly.
