By ZACH FREEMAN

AZLE — Shepherd Parr has always loved dancing, and today his love has earned him national recognition and the title of Master Dance of America 2025.

“He came out of the womb with a lot of verve and momentum,” his mother Danielle Parr said in an interview with the Tri-County Reporter. “So he came into it honestly.”

Shepherd Parr’s mother said that when he was young, he didn’t like “Sesame Street” or other children’s classics, but instead watched “Dancing with the Stars” every week. Another memory that Shepherd Parr has is dancing with his older sister in the family living room. When a friend of his mother noticed his love of dancing, she recommended that the boy take a dance class. When he was just 4 years old, his mother gave in and enrolled him in his first class.

“I wasn’t a dancer,” said Danielle Parr. “This whole life is not what I imagined it would be. I never imagined we would be these people.”

Shepherd Parr turns 10 this month and it seems his ten years of training have paid off. At age 7, he placed second in his very first Dance Masters of America competition and also won the top individual contestant in the tap dance category. Of all the winners of that competition, only two boys dominated their respective categories, according to Danielle Parr, the other top-ranked contestants were all girls. He applied for DMA after hearing about it from one of his dance teachers at Eminence Dance Complex, Amy Feril. Feril, his choreographer, has attended DMA her entire life and recommended it to Shepherd after seeing his skills. She and her husband Harry own the studio and have been a huge inspiration to the boy.

“They have been a huge inspiration to me along the way,” he said. “They have really supported me and been by my side the whole time. We have rehearsed so many interviews and prepared for so many auditions. They have really helped me achieve this.”

The Parrs have lived in Azle since 2017. His sister Piper is with the Civil Air Patrol and their father Mitchell works for Lockheed Martin. She is 14 and attends the same dance studio. Danielle Parr works part-time at a cake shop while her son dances to pass the time. The Parrs drive 40 minutes to Roanoke several times a week to train.

Shepherd Parr doesn’t often take breaks from his passion. His mother estimates that he spends about 15 hours a week dancing, four to six days a week. Whether he’s homeschooled or on summer vacation, he’s busy with intensive training.

“A normal week looks kind of crazy to me,” Shepherd Parr said. “Usually we start with a few technique classes, like ballet jumps and turns, and then I go to ballroom dances where I learn them and go to competitions. Then I have some recreational classes that I do just for fun, and I get to do a few dances at concerts, and it’s just super fun, and it goes on like that throughout the year.”

In February 2024, Parr won the Texas Dance Masters. On July 1, he competed against the best from each state at the national competition in Anaheim, California, and won the title of Master Dance of America 2025. Shepherd Parr represents Chapter 48, which covers parts of North and Central Texas, as the first national titleholder. In addition to dancing, contestants are also judged by a panel of judges on their resume-writing and interview skills.

“His dance teacher was a professional dancer and she was like the head cheerleader (Dallas Cowboys) and she says auditioning was a lot easier for her thanks to Dance Masters of America,” Danielle Parr said. “She was like, ‘I grew up doing this. We did this all the time. I was constantly interviewing. Easy.’ So you’re well prepared when you go out into the real world.”

The competition consists of a three-minute interview, a group audition in four different dance styles: jazz, tap, ballet and acrobatics, followed by a solo in a style of your choice. Contestants are presented with a choreography they have likely never performed before and have 15 minutes to memorize it before performing in front of the five judges. Although it was stressful at first, Shepherd Parr said his experience at DMA has improved his interview and dance skills, as well as his confidence.

He will attend the national competition in Orlando, Florida next year to pass his farewell title on to the next champion. The boy will then be able to compete in the junior age group of the DMA.

“I’m a little nervous because in the juniors they’re all super good,” he said. “It’s one of the toughest competitions because there are so many of them and I saw them dancing and I thought, ‘Wow, zowie, they’re so good.’ So I think I could win, but it’s going to be pretty hard.”

In addition to pursuing his lifelong passion, Shepherd Parr has been able to reap the rewards of his labor in several ways. When he won the 2025 Master Dance of America, he received a small cash prize and will receive financial assistance for his flights and hotel accommodations next summer. He also got to go to Disney Land and plans to go to Disney World next year. Despite the trips and the applause, the youngster said his favorite part of the DMA experience is simply being a kid with his friends.

“My favorite memories are joking around with my friends at dance competitions and then cheering each other on before we started dancing,” said Shepherd Parr. “One of the things I love about dancing is that you can feel your emotions, even when it’s hard.”

Shepherd Parr has big ambitions for the future. He hopes to one day work at the Eminence Dance Complex and eventually own his own studio. Shepherd Parr also hopes to one day reach the top of American dance by performing on Broadway. He encourages others to pursue their goals and hopes that other boys will not be afraid to pursue dance like he did.

“Believe in yourself,” said Shepherd Parr. “Even if you are hard on yourself, know that every second counts and that if you work hard, your dreams will come true. Don’t be hard on yourself even if people make fun of you, because I’ve seen that happen. Even if they criticize you, know that what they are saying is not true and just keep working hard.”