I started dancing at the age of four, so it has been the center of my world my entire life. Over the years, I’ve learned countless new steps, turns, combinations, pieces, but I’ve also learned things that have nothing to do with dance.

I learned how to work with others.

Dancing is both an individual and a team sport. Whether it’s the path of each dancer or a lift, dancers have to work together to make the choreography work.

I learned how to follow directions.

When the teacher or choreographer tells you where to go and what movement to do, you learn to listen and follow their directions.

I learned how to manage my time.

Because I spent my afterschool and weekend time at the studio, I always had less free time than other kids my age. I had to learn to balance my time between schoolwork, dance and free time to keep my grades up.

I learned how to push myself.

As a dancer, I always want to be better. I learned the delicate balance of pushing myself and setting expectations that weren’t out of reach.

I learned how to retain information.

Right now, I have nine different pieces worth of choreography in my head. Trying to remember all of these different movements is difficult but you learn how to retain it to make rehearsals go smoothly.

I learned how to be a leader.

I learned that being a leader can be a small gesture like helping another dancer with choreography or a bigger gesture like teaching a class if the teacher has to step out.

I learned how to be creative.

I started creating my own dances when I was really young. I don’t always like all of the ideas that I come up with but part of creativity is being able to keep coming up with ideas.

I learned how to gain others’ trust and respect.

Gaining others’ trust and respect starts with giving them trust and respect. Hard work and dedication and passion for what you’re doing are ways to continue gaining trust and respect.

I learned how to work hard for the things I want.

Solos in performances and getting cast in pieces isn’t something dancers are entitled to. We have to work hard to get where we want to be.

I learned how to cope with stress.

Because of all the time I spent dancing outside of school, managing my schoolwork could get stressful. Dancing taught me that coping with stress can be started with clearing your mind and doing something else.

I learned how to be happy.

Sometimes it seems like happiness is one of the hardest things to find in life. When I dance, I feel at ease, I feel happy, I feel free. I hope each one of you finds something that makes you happy in life.