Dancers are a completely different breed of humans. We express ourselves through movement, constantly do things the body isn't meant to do, and would rather be dancing than doing almost anything else. I don't even want to think about the number of hours I've spent standing at the ballet barre over the past 17 years that I have been dancing. There are some things that just can't be explained to someone who has never danced before, here are a few things that only us dancers understand.

1. The Feeling of Being On Stage

There is a nervousness and anxiety that builds in your stomach as you are standing in the wings that makes you want to puke while simultaneously putting the biggest smile on your face. There is nothing better than feeling the lights shining on you as you begin to dance.

2. Class and Rehearsal Aren't Optional

Friends will always ask why you can't just skip class or rehearsal. Its almost impossible to explain that dance isn't really optional. This concept is especially hard to explain in college when most people just skip their lecture classes when they are sick or hungover but you have to make the trek to the studio because being present is the most important part of your grade. Plus, unlike most people, dancers would actually rather be in class or rehearsal than doing anything else.

3. Worshiping Specific Choreographers, Dancers, or Dance Companies

While everyone else is obsessing over movie stars and the Kardashians, you are geeking out over Martha Graham, George Balanchine, and Misty Copeland. You love it when famous dancers make it to the big screen, like when "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days" references the "Isadora" diamond necklace (named after Isadora Duncan, "The Mother of Modern Dance") or that brief stint in "Sex and the City" when Carrie was dating Mikhail Baryshnikov.

4. The Feeling of a "Good Day" versus a "Bad Day"

Sure, sure, everyone has good days and bad days, but for dancers, it can make or break your day in technique class. A good turning day can mean whipping out some triple pirouettes, while a bad turning day can mean wiping out while doing a single.

5. Being Sore

I'm not talking about "I did some crunches yesterday and I can feel my abs a little bit" kind of sore, I'm talking about "My whole body is stiff, I feel like I just got hit by a bus" kind of sore, which usually happens after a long break from dancing like summer or winter break.

6. The Joy and Pain of Wearing a Leotard

Leotards are surprisingly comfortable and convenient minus the fact that sometimes you look at yourself in the mirror in one and want to die. Even if wearing a leotard sometimes makes me self conscious, it also somehow puts me in the mindset of being a dancer and gives me more confidence in class.

7. Being Tired All the Time

While your friends might want to go out on a weeknight or weekend, you are perfectly happy to collapse on the couch and watch a movie after dancing all day. Whenever your teacher asks how you are feeling today, without hesitation the first thing out of your mouth is "tired," especially if there is a show coming up soon.

8. Social Dancing and Dance Technique are Completely Different.

Whenever I mention that I'm a dancer, people comment that I must be great at parties, school dances, and clubs. But I assure you, my social dancing is just as bad, if not worse, than the average person at the club.

9. Dedication and Discipline

If there is one thing that dance teaches starting from a young age, it is discipline. At a young age, dancers are taught to stand quietly at the barre and learn the combinations the teacher demonstrates. Dancers must have dedication to make it in the dance world. The body is so expressive, and if the passion on the inside doesn't match the movement it will never be convincing.

10. The Value of Being Healthy

Everyone automatically assumes that because you dance, you don't need to do anything else to be healthy. When people see you at the gym, they say "Why are you here, isn't dance a good enough workout?" Dancers understand that eating healthy and doing exercise outside of dance, whether it is Yoga, Pilates, running, or even a different kind of dance, is important to make sure that our bodies are able to continue to dance.

11. The All-Encompassing Nature of Dance

Dance may have started as a hobby, but for a true dancer, dance is more of a lifestyle. We can't imagine not having dance in our lives and the lessons we have learned through dancing motivate our actions inside and outside of the studio. As Martha Graham once said, "Great dancers are not great because of their technique. They are great because of their passion."