It Takes Two

Each time senior Chayse Capps prepares to step onto the floor for the Oklahoma Sooners, she receives the same, straightforward message from assistant coach Tom Haley.

“Give it all you've got. This is your stage.”

Chayse makes the most of that stage, combining her gymnastics talent and rich dance experience into her floor routine, showcasing her background in both each and every time she competes for the Sooners.

For nearly her entire life, Chayse has been involved in both gymnastics and dance. She began both at the earliest possible ages, 18 months and 3 years old, respectively. She participated in both throughout her childhood, developing a close bond with her mom, Melanie, through a shared interest in dance.

Chayse Capps has been a gymnast since she was 18 months old and started dancing at 3 years old.

Dance has also been a central aspect of Melanie's life. When she was 7 years old, a dance studio came to her daycare to present a tap class. That's all it took to spark her interest, and she eventually went to the studio and began taking classes and was hooked, dancing throughout high school and later participating on drill team. There was never any doubt she would later enroll her daughter in dance classes.

Once Chayse's gymnastics and dance schedules started to conflict, her dad, Ken, suggested to Melanie that she teach their daughter. Melanie started a studio in their home, and the neighborhood kids and some of Chayse's friends became her students.

The studio eventually grew so much there was no longer room in the Capps' house for it, so Melanie got a job at a local studio and took her students with her, teaching there for about 13 years. She also joined a hip-hop competitive dance team, and now that she is no longer teaching dance, she leads a Zumba class to stay involved with the art.

The talent in Chayse could be spotted early on, and the fact she was already taking gymnastics helped the dance come easily to her, Melanie says.

“She was talented,” Melanie explains. “You could see the talent coming out, but I think it was also because of the two things going on. You get that much exercise and practice, you're just going to be good at it. Dance is so much about memory and stringing steps together and where to put your weight, transfer from this foot to that foot. So the more athletic you were, the more it helped, so gymnastics helped with dance and vice-versa."

Senior Chayse Capps and her mom, Melanie.

Growing up, Chayse did a wide range of dance, including her favorites of jazz and hip-hop as well as ballet, tap, modern and lyrical. She tried even more styles like Bollywood and African tribal dancing at dance conventions.

In addition to being one of her dance instructors, Melanie also served as teacher to Chayse, who was homeschooled. The two share a strong bond, and the time spent together in the dance studio is cherished.

“We're really close. We really are,” Chayse says of her relationship with her mom. “I don't know how to describe it. She's obviously my biggest role model in life, and she will do anything and everything for me.

“Most people wouldn't have liked it, but I loved it,” Chayse continues of her mom teaching her dance. “Just getting to spend more time with her in general … My brothers were also in baseball, so we were going every which direction with that, and they were also gymnasts. Our family was always so active, so even just the little moments of her teaching me dance were just spending time with her.”

The juggling of two competitive schedules was not always easy, Chayse admits. She would often have dance competitions one weekend and gymnastics meets the next, but she never considered not participating in both since it was her way of life since she was little. Additionally, Chayse says she was also able to incorporate this balance as she transitioned into college.

Gymnastics was Chayse's main focus once she saw the opportunity to pursue it at the collegiate level, but she still enjoyed dance and recognized the two complement each other well. Dance helped her perform on floor and have confidence on beam, she explains. Additionally, she embraced dance as a way to express herself.

“I was never very good at speaking in front of people, so that was just kind of my way to show who I am and that I actually do have a little bit of a personality because I was quite shy growing up, as much as people don't believe that,” Chayse shares. “I would make friends pretty quickly, but it would take a while to actually start talking to them. So, that was just kind of my outlet. I was able to become more confident in who I was, and my self-esteem was boosted because I had the gymnastics and the dance background, which just complimented each other, so it helped me in both aspects.”

At Oklahoma, head coach K.J. Kindler choreographs all the floor routines for the Sooners, giving each gymnast a story line for her floor routine, just like is given to dancers for theirs, in order to spark emotions in the performance.

“It is so fun to choreograph for Chayse because the sky is the limit," Kindler says. "I can do anything and she does it 10 times better. I often find that is brings out the best in me creatively to have someone who can interpret movement in such a unique way in with her own personal spin on it. It inspires me as a choregrapher. A team can have such a huge range when it comes to dance background. I think you get lucky when someone as experienced as Chayse walks in the door.”

Chayse's immediate plans include graduating from OU in May 2018 and attending school to become a physician assistant, but she hasn't closed the door on maybe picking up dance again in the future, possibly joining an adult competitive team like her mom. But for now her focus in on her academic future and her last meets as a Sooner.

"I never could have dreamed that I could be on the OU gymnastics team and even contributing for that matter. I'm so thankful for the journey that both of them have had allowed me to be on, and I don't think I'd be the same person without either of them."
— Chayse Capps

Next week, the top-seeded Sooners head to the NCAA Championships in St. Louis, Mo., with their eyes on a third national title in the last four seasons, and Chayse has been a key part of their success during her time in Norman. She has competed in every single meet during her career and is an eight-time NCAA All-American, while holding an extensive list of individual honors.

“Chayse has truly hit an artistic cord in her interpretation of gymnastics, both on beam and floor," Kindler shares. "She stands out by being different and emphasizing creativity. She has pushed the envelope for her teammates and brought an intense work ethic and expectation of to our culture.”

Even with all the personal success, Chayse is focused on her team and says the rush of competing and her teammates are what she is going to miss most about the sport of gymnastics.

“I know it sounds crazy, but the adrenaline rush and the nerves and the feeling of just getting to be able to go out there and put everything you've got out there for a bigger purpose, for the team, and just being part of something bigger than you could realize,” Capps states.

Chayse says she has learned important lessons in her journey through gymnastics and dance, including time management and how to balance a hectic schedule. She's also learned to pursue her dreams.

“I never could have dreamed that I could be on the OU gymnastics team and even contributing for that matter,” Chayse explains. “I'm so thankful for the journey that both of them have had allowed me to be on, and I don't think I'd be the same person without either of them.”

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It Takes Two

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