Wandick displays maturity, grace, and poise well beyond her years.
The teen dancer, who auditioned with thousands of other kids across America, survived a series of cuts. She was one of 100 selected to go to Hollywood, made the coveted top 50, and is now one of the top 40 contestants going into tonight's episode of "So You Think You Can Dance: The Next Generation."
This is a spinoff the regular series that Wandick grew up watching. "SYTYCD:The Next Generation" features kids aged 8-13.
After nailing her auditioning in front of the famous trio of judges, all she could think about was her Mom and how far they've come.
"When I walked on stage for Nigel (Lythoe), Paula (Abdul) and Jason (DeRulo), I was like...Hey Mom. We did it. You got me here. You're the reason I'm here," said Wandick.
Her dedication and passion sets her apart amongst her peers.
"Passion is just a raw talent that she exudes," said Kyli Delis, Owner at Dancer's Turnout Academy, Wandick's Bakersfield dance studio.
Dance expenses can add up quickly, and a few years ago, her family hit rock bottom.
Her mother was laid off from the postal service, and shortly after, they lost nearly everything.
"I tried to without everything that we were going through until it got really, really bad," explained Shontika Wandick.
Jordan even blamed herself and the cost of dance for her family's struggles.
"I hated the fact that she had to go through those struggles and knew they were because of me," Jordan Wandick said.
Even when it wasn't financially possible to attend dance classes, she refused to stop dancing.
"Jordan spent about 6 months training herself from watching YouTube videos," Shontika Wandick recalls.
Shontika and Jordan now live with family, including Jordan's grandparents and great-grandfather. The family doesn't own a car, and the two walk 2 miles to a bus stop so Jordan can make her dance classes.
"I don't need a big bed, and I don't need an expensive car. I just want to dance and I want to make sure that my dreams are going to come true," Jordan said.
She admits there were times she wanted to give up as the art became more challenging. Yet, she continued to work hard and make sacrifices.
"Jordan has given up birthdays, and Christmas and social events and things that kids want to do," said Shontika Wandick.
She doesn't mind making sacrifices for her daughter because of the hard work she puts into her craft.
"As long as you show me that you want it and this is what you want to do, and that this is your dream, I'm goint od o whatever I need to do," said Shontika.
Jordan mirrors that statement.
"My Mom would always tell me, I'm happy when my children are happy. So, I was determined to dance not only for myself, but for her because I knew that dancing for her would make her happy," said Jordan.
Though they've struggled, the silver lining is becoming more bright.
Over the holidays, Jordan danced in Debbie Allen's Hot Chocolate Nutcracker. She was cast in four roles, but it later increased to six.
"Debbie Allen was just like, who's this girl girl? I need you to come dance with me," Shontika said.
Jordan thanks her mom for being her biggest fan and critic.
"Keep pushing me because you're always going to be the one person who believes in me no matter what," said Jordan.
No matter the outcome on SYTYCD, Jordan, an aspiring professional dancer knows the doors will continuing opening for her.
Jordan will also relocate to Los Angeles for the new school year. She was accepting into the Los Angeles County High School of the Arts.
