Dance is a beautiful and incredibly powerful art form that can teach you many lessons beyond your routines. I've been dancing ballet for 12 years, and since my childhood it's helped me grow into the person I am today. These are a few of the things that I've heard about dancing from friends and family over the years.

1. "Dance isn't a sport."

No. It's more than that. It's agility, strength, beauty, and art all in one. There's a common misconception that dance is easy, but it takes a real athlete to dance with grace and speed while making it look beautiful.

2. "Can you show me a dance move?"

Um, sorry, no. I'm not warmed up, and I'm not showing you a dance move in the middle of the hallway.

3. "I took a dance class when I was 4. It was so fun!"

Cool. So did everyone else.

4. "How flexible are you? Can you show me?"

Why am I always asked this when I'm wearing jeans?

5. "Wow, you eat so much for a dancer."

Do you know how many calories we burn from our rehearsals?

6. "I take Zumba twice a week. So I totally understand how hard dance is."

Please.

7. "What's modern? Is that like interpretive dancing?"

Um, no.

8. "Can't you just skip dance?"

I will never skip rehearsal to hang out with you. Sorry.

9. "Can you do all of those spins?"

First of all, they are called turns, and I can do a triple on a good day.

10. "Are you as good as the dancers on 'Dance Moms'?"

Probably not. Sometimes you just have to accept that little children are better than you. But still it's a rude question.

11. "What are you going to do after you quit dance?"

Eh. I'll just keep dancing until my body breaks. Thanks.