For as long as I can remember, I have been dancing. The studio that I grew up in did not have a competition team until I was 13 years old. Sure enough, I joined it immediately. In spite of the fact that I only got to compete for seven years (yes, I competed until I was 20 years old), dance competitions have taught me some of the most valuable lessons in life.

Teamwork

For most studios, the company competes as a team in group dances. The entire group has to be in sync, both mentally and physically, in order to successfully execute the routines. Competition teams spend a lot of their time during the week rehearsing with each other, and because of that, tensions can arise. Learning how to keep your cool with your teammates is part of learning the concept of teamwork.

How to be a good loser

I cannot tell you how many times I have not received the rating or placement that I had hoped for. There were many times that I was jealous or envious of the girls that placed higher than me. I learned how to not pout when I lost, and instead take the corrections I received from the judges and improve my technique.

How to be a good winner

Part of being a good winner is understanding how to stay humble. Congratulate everyone that you competed with, as they worked just as hard as you. Being a winner means being excited for your accomplishment, but not waving it in the faces of those who placed after you.

Taking criticism well

When I first started competing, I would get very offended when I received my comments back from the judges. I realized later on that helping me improve as a dancer is part of their job. I ultimately became a better dancer because of my many critiques. We will all be critiqued at some point in our lives.

Manners

Try sharing a dressing room with 40 girls that all need to access the very few mirrors that are available and the single bathroom that is offered. You've got some unhappy mothers and dancers. Having dressing room manners means that you understand the concept of personal space and not invading the opposing teams' space. It also means being polite to the other teams that you are sharing a dressing room with. This concept exceeds beyond the dressing room, too. It applies to any situation where you have to share a space with people in which tensions may arise.

Confidence

There is nothing like working hard on something all year long and then showcasing it to hundreds upon hundreds of people. It is especially special when you work on a solo and have to get up onstage by yourself. There are many people who would never be able to do that. Knowing that I could do that with ease gave me so much confidence.

Creativity

I began choreographing little dances with my friends when I was very young, but I began to seriously choreograph when I was in the seventh grade for my first talent show. When I started to compete, I choreographed a solo every year after that. Dance competitions taught me creativity; I picked out my song, cut the music, picked my costume, and choreographed the dance all by myself.

Love

As cheesy as it may sound, spending an entire weekend with the dance community really shows you why we dance. We dance because it is fun. We dance to feel accomplished. And we dance because we love it and we love the people that we share it with.

Dance competitions gave me more than a bunch of trophies and medals. They gave me life lessons that I will carry with me always.