Patriots guard moving people with mime dancing

Ellender Memorial High School senior point guard Carlton Staidum patiently jogged up the court, before slowing slightly to survey the floor.

With each step, another thought rolled through the guard’s mind.

Will he pass the ball to the wing?

Will he pass the ball into the post?

Will the defenders sag off him?

Every step, another thought.

No words, just thoughts, that’s the way Staidum operated his entire career, making his mark as one of the area’s most cerebral basketball players.

“He doesn’t say a whole lot,” Ellender coach Scott Gauthreaux said. “He’s such a quiet person and that’s who he is. … Sometimes I’d get frustrated with him, because I would just be like ‘Carlton, can you just please say something? Whether you’re happy or not, just let me know what you’re feeling.'”

Staidum said he wouldn’t label himself as shy, claiming he just doesn’t always have much to say.

But when Staidum is in a setting outside of basketball, his actions speak louder than words ever could.

The Ellender guard spends his free time as a mime dancer, performing at churches throughout the area.

It’s a skill he said he picked up when his grandmother passed away – a moment in his life that he said made him realize he wanted to make a difference in the future.

“That event just brought me back into reality like a reality shock,” Staidum said. “I just knew that I had to get closer to the Lord, so I started going to church and I started seeing others do it and it was something that I realized that I had the gift and the talent to do myself, so I got started.”

Mime dancing is a form of art that involves acting out a story or sequence of events with just body motions, without the use of speech.

That’s exactly what Staidum does on stage, saying he and others perform to various songs to try and entertain and captivate the audience.

The guard said it is a skill that is usually taught, but in his case, he picked it up on his own – something that surprised all of his friends and family.

“Nobody ever expected me to step up and do this,” Staidum said with a laugh. “Because I’m the shy one. I’m the one who never does nothing, but everyone was just shocked to see me do it.”

Gauthreaux said he hasn’t been able to watch his player perform live, but said he hopes to, because he knows better than anyone else that his player’s personality perfectly fits the character Staidum plays on stage.

“That’s something I’d like to see,” the coach said. “I think it fits him perfectly. He’s such a quiet person and that’s who he is. And it’s something I think he takes great pride in.”

Since starting the hobby two years ago, Staidum said he has performed at several churches throughout the state.

He said he has always received positive feedback wherever he’s performed and he now teaches the skill to others who are interested in learning.

“We just try and make the song come to life,” Staidum said. “People really get touched and people really love it. I just really love going around and changing people’s lives.”

Making a positive impact is something the Ellender student has tried to do in virtually every setting he’s been in throughout high school.

Staidum was a finalist for the Terrebonne Parish Teenager of the Year award and is one of Ellender’s top students in the 2011 senior class.

“That’s just who he is,” Gauthreaux said. “He’s involved with plenty of things at school and he’s an honors student here. He’s in numerous clubs in the school and he’s always willing to help people out. He helped me out by selling pizzas to help the program. He’s always involved and we’ll miss him next year.”

Upon graduation, Staidum said he has already been accepted into LSU and he plans to pursue a degree in pre-pharmacy.

He said he would continue to grow in his mime dancing throughout college and even hinted that his basketball days may not fully be complete, as well.

“I might, I just might try out for the basketball team there,” Staidum said. “I haven’t made up my mind, but that’s something I’m thinking about now.”

Either way, Gauthreaux believes his player will become a productive citizen in adulthood.

Because even though he might not have heard his player speak too often, the coach believes Staidum’s actions speak louder than words ever could.

“He’s going to be successful,” Gauthreaux said. “It’s pretty easy to see. He was always a guy that has been reliable. He’s always been a guy that we could count on. He’s going to make something of himself in life, without question.”

Ellender High School senior Carlton Staidum’s two hobbies are partly why Patriots coach Scott Gauthreaux said he’s convinced Staidum will be a productive adult once he completes his education at LSU. COURTESY PHOTO