Jeta Cooper Johnson, who was recently crowned Homecoming High Royalty, is a seventeen-year-old senior at Glendale High School. She was born in Kosovo, which is located in Southeast Europe, and she moved to Los Angeles as a five-year-old. 

Jeta (whose name is pronounced yeh-ta) has been dancing ever since she was a toddler, but she began taking dance classes when she was in the sixth grade. She started off by taking lessons at Millennium Dance Complex, which is a hip-hop studio. She eventually joined her school’s dance team, and she even took ballet lessons during her time in middle school. 

Jeta’s passion for dance is something she was born with. “I’ve liked to move to music since I was a little kid,” she said. “All my home videos from Kosovo are me, as a kid, dancing and putting on a show for everyone around me.”

As Jeta became active on social media, she was exposed to dancers in the community who were her inspiration in joining the Glendale drill team. She became a captain during her junior year and was given the position of head captain when she became a senior. 

Jeta openly did not want to try out for head captainship, as she doubted herself and her abilities to lead the whole team, but she

was reassured by the team staff that she had what it took to be their leader. Jeta is still currently trying to overcome her self-doubts, but she says that her teammates and co-captains are helping her to believe in herself.

Jeta says that the support she receives from her teammates has been very encouraging. Because of the fact that she and the rest of the captains have discussed leadership prior to her being chosen as head captain, she feels that there is a healthy bond between all of them, that is free from drama or gossip. 

Jeta wants the drill team to continue to advance, regardless of what is happening in the world, while also being mindful and careful. She advises that her team should be flexible and prepared to work hard and have fun, even if their situation drastically changes yet again. 

Jeta would tell the next head captain of the drill team to be ready to fail and learn from their mistakes. Jeta thinks that the key to success for herself, and for every head captain in the future, is to trust that her director and coaches know what they’re doing when they choose leaders for the team.

If you would like to try out for next year’s drill team, please talk to a team member, or contact Ms. Palmer at [email protected].