By Jackson Teal
To succeed you must first fail.
One mistake during a performance meant failure and ultimately suspension.
This meant perfection was a standard for Kamryn Baker during her time with the Ball State University dance team.
“I’ve trained myself, I can’t mess up,” Baker said. “I believe in myself, and that’s all I need.”
Ball State’s Code Red dance team coach enforced a rule that if you made a mistake in a routine you suffered a one-game suspension.
This punishment hanging over her head may have seemed like a simple nuisance.
But these restrictions instead may have turned into a launch pad, propelling Baker straight into a future as a Pacemate, an Indiana Pacers dancer.
Now Baker, a 2021 Delta graduate, is in her second year as a Pacemate.
Baker’s experiences also include appearing on national TV on Good Morning America, posing for a modeling agency and performing in music videos.
Before the big screen came her time at Delta High School.
“It (Delta) prepared me for college courses as well as educating me in many other areas of life,” Baker said.
She was enrolled in Delta’s dual credit program, enabling her to knock a whole year off of college.
Baker had more than just schoolwork on her plate, however.
Throughout the week she would use all available time to master her dancing skills through Dazzle Dance & Cheer.
Ms. Zoe Ashcraft, government and economics teacher, was a friend of Baker in high school.
“Kamryn was always very quiet in high school, very focused, very determined,” Miss Ashcraft said. “She is exactly who she is online.”
As high school came to an end, Baker decided that Ball State was the right spot for her to elevate her dance skills and build a future.
She had a plan to walk across the stage with a diploma in exercise science in hand.
This was just a piece of the plan, however.
“I loved dancing in college, and it helped me decide that I wasn’t ready to be done dancing yet,” Baker said.
Many of Baker’s college teammates also had aspirations of continuing their dance careers.
Their path took them to cheering alongside the gridiron for the Indianapolis Colts.
Baker’s journey, however, took her atop the hardwood court of Gainbridge Fieldhouse, the home of the Indiana Pacers.
To be granted the title of a Pacemate you must first go through a strenuous, week long tryout process.
“There are so many people trying out that are all excellent dancers,” Baker said. “It makes the selection process pretty nerve-wracking.”
Baker was one of the 18 dancers who succeeded in securing their spot on the 2024-2025 Indiana Pacemates.
Her first year as a Pacemate turned out to be a slam dunk. In the Pacers 49-year tenure in the NBA, they have appeared in the NBA Finals only twice.
Coincidentally, the most recent appearance happened to be in Baker’s first year as a Pacemate.
This granted Baker the opportunity to perform on the largest stage the NBA offers.
Millions of people view the finals each year. For some this would be petrifying.
For Baker stage-fright isn’t even a word in her vocabulary.
This is why when Baker got the call from her coach saying that she had an opportunity to be on Good Morning America (GMA), a smile flashed on her face.
The Pacemates were chosen to do a routine on GMA to bring hype toward the upcoming WNBA All-Star Game that took place at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
“There was so much excitement and adrenaline to perform on national television,” Baker said. “I was also performing with artists (GloRilla and G-Eazy) that I am fans of, so that was cool.”
This is not the only experience that she has with musicians.
Baker wants to dance in music videos and is currently attempting to build her name in the music industry.
She has already been involved in the production of one music video with an up and coming Latin artist named Wiche Torres.
Baker faces one complication in this field, location.
The Indianapolis area is not a place filled with musicians, so she knows if she wants to pursue music videos after her Pacemate career is finished, she will have to relocate.
“Music videos are like modeling and dancing put together, two of my favorite things. What’s not to love?” Baker said.
No matter the type of performance that Baker is involved in at the time she has the same mindset.
“Before we go out there we just tell each other ‘Go be hot’,” Baker said. “Personally while I’m dancing, I don’t even focus on the crowd, I save that for later, for when we’re done performing.”
This confidence also roots from constant repetition.
Baker practices for four hours at a time, twice a week. This is in addition to extracurricular dancing and weightlifting she does to hone in her skills.
Weightlifting and the body are huge parts of Baker’s busy life. She works at the Stretch Lab in Fishers, Ind.
At the lab, they stretch people to improve their flexibility, reduce soreness and get rid of tissue knots.
“It’s fun and super beneficial,” Baker said. “You should try it!”
Baker not only comforts muscles, she builds them.
She builds her life around body positivity, nutrition and weightlifting. This was not always the case however.
In the dance and modeling world, a place where the body is idolized, it can cause a lot of negativity toward someone that isn’t very confident in themselves.
This is a reason eating disorders are so prevalent in this line of work.
“Coming out of high school I had a small eating disorder, but my college major educated me, so I got into weightlifting and nutrition,” Baker said.
She is trying to pass the knowledge she’s gained on the topic to any of her teammates or friends that need to hear it.
From dancing, modeling, and music videos no matter what Baker does she turns positivity into perfection because she knows ….
“If I want something to happen, I have to make it happen, and that starts with believing in myself.”
