Channing Cooke doesn't just think she can dance. She knows it.
Now, so do the judges on the Fox reality show, "So You Think You Can Dance?" So do the millions across the country who watch.
And so will even more viewers in less than a week, when Cooke, 18, and the rest of the top 20 finalists will make their debut performances. The show is scheduled for this coming Monday at 8 p.m., but could change because of the World Series.
The Haverhill resident, whose family, friends and current and former teachers were watching the preliminary round Wednesday night, got a bit of criticism from one of the judges, Nigel Lythgoe, who told her, "You are going to have to learn to dance with a partner ..." But, that was only a prelude to him adding, "... because you have been voted into the top 20."
Cooke, who has danced since she was 21รขÑ2, gets rave reviews from her teachers, past and present.
"She has never been anything short of amazing," said one of them, Patty Gauron of Haverhill.
That is because behind the glamour, the cheers, the TV lights and the prospect of fame lies a lot of hard work.
Congratulations to Cooke, to her family and to her teachers for another example that drive, determination and work, along with some talent, can lead to the gratification of high achievement.
