The heir apparent to running Style Dance Academy just graduated from Triton Central High School.

Kearsley Kermode, the youngest of Steve and Kari Kermode’s three children, first arrived at the Franklin dance studio when she was four days old. By the time she could walk, she was dancing.

A few years later, she was teaching her own dance classes. And now she is on track to take over the family business when Kari is ready to retire.

Triton Central High School’s Salutatorian for the Class of 2023 will attend Franklin College in the fall to study Accounting and Finance.

“It’s always been my dream since I was a little girl,” said Kermode. “The biggest thing is I wanted to be like my mom. With that came the studio.

“As I’ve gotten older, dance is something I love. Teaching is something I love with the kids. I love all of it. I just want (the dance studio) to continue and maybe, eventually, pass it down to my kids.”

With three family members already alumni of Franklin College, an older brother transferring to the school and a cousin now enrolled there, and the dance studio nearby, going to Franklin College was always in the cards.

“I have wanted to go to Franklin College since middle school,” she said. “My dad went to Franklin. My grandpa went to Franklin. My aunt went to Franklin. We are definitely a Franklin family.”

Kermode will live in Franklin with her older brother, Hayden Kermode, who will play football for the Grizzlies after two seasons at Concordia University in Ann Arbor, Michigan.

“Growing up at Triton Central, it’s a small school. I think Franklin College has that same small school aspect,” said Kermode. “It’s close to home. I am going to be working at the studio too in Franklin. It definitely is the best option. I really like the campus and the community aspect there as well.”

Kermode’s summer plans suddenly changed nearly two weeks ago when she was crowned First Runner-up and Miss Congeniality at the Shelby County Fair Queen Pageant, held at Triton Central High School.

“I did it for the fun of it,” she said. “I wasn’t expecting a whole lot out of it. I don’t do any 4-H stuff or FFA stuff so I wasn’t sure how that would affect me competition wise. Stage-wise, I was super comfortable. That was the easier part for me. It was fun. I had a blast.”

Her ranking as salutatorian, not the same as a member of the fair queen court, brought another unique experience – speaking at her graduation ceremony.

“That was very nerve-wracking,” she admitted. “I say one of my biggest fears is public speaking. My parents helped me a lot. We practiced a lot. It wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.”

Kermode asked members of the graduating class to raise a hand if they attended Triton Central Elementary School. She asked the same question if they attended Triton Central Middle School. Then she asked the crowd to raise a hand if they went to Triton Central.

“I felt like that was a really cool moment to see because much of the whole room had their hands up,” said Kermode. “It was a testament to the community and the home that TC is for everybody.”

Even for her older brother Keaton, who is about to move half way around the world. Keaton Kermode brought national attention to Style Dance Academy in the summer of 2022 when he reached the finals of the television show “So You Think You Can Dance.”

Week after week as he advanced on the show, the Kermode family gained more notoriety.

“It didn’t hit as much when we were watching him on TV at home,” said Kearsley. “But when I went out to California and actually went to the show, every time we would watch an episode and Mom would be crying … we were like, ‘Why are you crying?’

“And then I go and he hasn’t even danced yet and I am sobbing. It’s just the most surreal thing and we are just so proud of him. It was something you never would expect to happen to you or your family.”

Keaton Kermode, who came home for graduation and attended the fair queen pageant to support his sister, has secured a role as a backup dancer for a musical artist that will be performing in China.

An accomplished dancer herself, Kearsley Kermode is ready to focus on her own dream of keeping Style Dance Academy around for many more years.

“My mom, she does it all right now,” said Kearsley. “We have lots of teachers that help and they are great. It’s definitely a full load where she does the business stuff during the day and at night she teaches classes and runs everything else. That’s what I want to do.”

This is the third in a series of feature stories from the Shelby County Post on Shelby County’s Class of 2023 valedictorians and salutatorians.

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