Shine Brighter Than A Diamond

SHINE

BRIGHTER

THAN A DIAMOND

STORY BY DELANEY TRAN PHOTOS COURTESY OF THE SHINING JEWELETTEZ

The Shining Jewelettez are CSULB’s first all-black dance team, a sisterhood for empowering diversity who just want people to see them for who they are.

JALAY’SHA Seals, a bachelor of fine arts dance major, was approached by two student residential coordinators in her sophomore year. They asked her about creating a dance team for and about empowering people of color. She felt it was perfect; she had been wanting to build her own dance team.

“It was something important to us because it first started by a group of colored women,” Seals said. “We had no diverse dance team to the point where it was really empowering to us to really reflect that. Like: we are here...It was just really trying to uplift and open up those opportunities for more black people and for people of color. And honestly, anyone.”

That is how, at 19 years old, Seals founded the Shining Jewelettez in February 2018, the first black dance team at Cal State Long Beach. They welcome anyone to join no matter your sexuality, gender, size, ethnicity or race.

Before they were called Shining Jewelettez, they were Melanin Magic. They started off in the Recreation and Wellness Center by advertising times when they would be there. Their style of dance is something Seals doesn’t like to keep in a box as the main choreographer, doing any number of styles including majorette, jazz, lyrical and hip-hop. Eventually, they took it to the dance center where they currently practice.

A little after they were established, Kaylin Jones, currently the president of the Shining Jewelettez, was attending Student Orientation, Advising and Registration (SOAR) just like any Cal State Long Beach student. She learned about the group, but since they didn’t have an Instagram set up at the time, it was difficult to find tryout information. Coincidentally, she got to meet the group again during Week of Welcome, auditioned, and joined in the fall 2018 semester.

“At first I was just a member of the team, just like anyone else,” Jones said. “Moving forward, I was always someone [who] stuck around despite everything that happened. I just stuck around because I really saw potential in the team. I really loved it.”

“We’re all different jewels, we all have different birthstones, and we’re all unique...”

However, throughout promoting for members and finding locations to practice, Seals was also working toward getting the team recognized for two years. If the team is recognized by CSULB, it will be able to get funding, something that they are currently doing themselves. And they would also be able to perform on-campus more frequently. They have mainly performed off-campus, including at the African Black Coalition Conference and San Diego State Diamond Showcase.

It has been a stressful and difficult process because, Seals said, it feels like they are still at square one even though she has filled out all the necessary paperwork. At this point, she isn’t sure when they will get recognized.

“It’s so stressful, because I’m not just an adult where I am trying to get this team started to where I have a job and after that job I have time to focus on it,” Seals said. “I’m a student, so in between classes I’m running to [the director of club sports and recreation] office. There was a time I missed class, because this is so important to me that I need you to have a conversation with me. I need you to get this process going because I have a group of girls who are wanting to dance and, literally show, honestly show spirit. That’s all we’re about, ㅡjust showing a diverse way of dancing.”

If they are recognized, their name would be owned by the school. During the recognition process, Seals was told that the name Melanin Magic did not indicate inclusivity. She felt this didn’t make sense because melanin is found in everyone.

Seals brought this up to the women in the team at the time and, with universal agreement, they brainstormed a new name. That name was Shining Jewelettez.

“We’re all different jewels, we all have different birthstones, and we’re all unique,” Seals said. “We took that and we ran with it. Even now we love that name as well. It kind of helps us, because most of our costumes are shiny materials and very loud. We’re very loud. When you hear of Shining Jewelettez, you can kind of expect people to hear shining, so something better be popping. We always come ready for that.”

Although they are still fighting to get recognized, they continue to dance wherever they can. When they initially started, they performed at basketball and homecoming games. Most recently, they performed at ASI’s Culture Fest.

“That’s all we’re about, just showing a diverse way of dancing.”

“We are black and we are diverse. And we just want y’all to see us for who we are...”

“I want people to know that we are here, and to understand our style of dance,” Jones said. “To know that we are here to just add that extra little flair of diversity to our campus. And to understand and respect that, and welcome it mostly.”

The bonds not only between Seals and Jones, but also within the entire team have grown since its beginning. They have group bondings and have created a space where they can lean on each other. Their rehearsals, although they exist for practicing their dancing and choreography, are also a time to check up on one another.

For Seals, growing up in a black community, she hid how she felt. She said she just handled it as a Black woman and “you keep pushing.” With her dance team, she calls them her sisters, because they know when she isn’t feeling well. Being that her blood family lives hours away, she rarely goes home. These women are her family away from home.

“There’s just so much hard work that goes into our rehearsals, during those three hours,” Seals said. “We’ve had rehearsals where people cry and we all cry. We’ve actually had a rehearsal where one of dancers popped her knee out of her socket and the entire team went to the ER with her. We’ve had rehearsals where we’ve heard good news and we’re all cheering; we’re physically being around each other and it’s just happiness. And even with rehearsals where people cry, we take a moment, we have a conversation and we support each other through it.”

Their hopes in the new school year are to continue working to get recognized in order to perform more on campus and show school spirit where it should be. In the meantime, they’ll be doing what they love best: dancing their hearts out.

“We are black and we are diverse. And we just want y’all to see us for who we are,” Seals said.