Growing up a dancer is grueling, intense, and absolutely exhausting. But if you're a dancer, you know that all the hard work is worth it because of everything your studio teaches you (and I'm not just talking about choreography). No matter how long ago they hung up their pointe shoes, some part of every dancer will always stay in the studio. Here are 14 things every dancer should thank their childhood studio for:
1. All the costumes.
Thanks to the marketing masterpiece that is the dance costume catalog, you've had an excuse to wear all kinds of crazy outfits. You've dressed as a sailor, a hillbilly, a dancing cat, a Parisian gentlewoman, a flapper, and a genie. Sometimes you felt a little ridiculous (the glittery matador suit wasn't your best look), but you always made it work. Getting to put on a new identity for a few minutes was thrilling.
2. All the sparkle.
"She who leaves a trail of glitter is never forgotten." Your dance studio gave you this motto and you took it literally. At every dress rehearsal, competition, and photo shoot, your costume always managed to leave a path of sparkles. There are probably still bins in your attic with years of glitter residue stuck at the bottom. No one could forget your sparkling personality, even if they tried.
3. Makeup skills that put the Sephora counter to shame.
You mastered the perfect winged liquid eyeliner at the age of 12. In less than a minute, you can change your shade of lipstick from staining black (your teacher was in a moody choreography phase) to fire engine red, and still have time to help your friends get the perfect pout.
4. Your strange taste in music.
When you're a dancer, you can find the rhythm and beauty in any and every type of music. The hip hop productions turned even the most disciplined ballerina into a driver's seat rapper. For some reason, you've always harbored a love for "Sing Sing Sing." A dancer's Spotify is never boring.
5. Discipline, discipline, discipline.
Ballet kicked your butt every week. But no matter how many times you complained, you were always thankful for the strength and discipline it taught you. Dancers learn to do things the right way – not the first time, but every time after that. Plus, you're always early to everything, and that can't hurt. Another dance studio motto? "Early is on time, on time is late, and late is unacceptable."
6. The power of expression.
When you spend five nights a week in a dance studio, you can't help but bring dance with you into other parts of your life. When you're feeling anxious about something big coming up, dance is an outlet. When you go through a bad breakup, the dance studio is there to welcome you in a fit of choreographic anger. When words fail, dance speaks.
7. Incredible role models.
Dance teachers always have the perfect amount of tough love. They know how to get what they want and get things done the right way, but they always do so with compassion and understanding. Every competition dancer looks up to her teachers, even the intimidating ones. Sometimes they can even be like a second mom.
8. Making you tougher than you ever thought possible.
We fall, we flop, we sprain, we tear, and we bruise. Everything. Once, my knee cap popped out of place, and I kept dancing and just waited for it to pop back in. Dancers will routinely avoid the doctor because they don't want to be told they can't dance. They push through tendonitis, lost toenails, concussions, broken toes, and rolled ankles. It's no big deal; dancers are some of the toughest people you know.
9. Teaching you how to take constructive criticism.
Every dancer has a moment when they get called out in front of the whole team for something they've been doing wrong. When you spend time in the studio, this becomes no big deal. You learn not to take criticism personally – instead, you make the corrections and move on. This has seriously helped you in other parts of your life; there is always something you can do better in your classes or your job or your relationship, and you know how not to let criticism cripple you.
10. Teaching you how to lose with grace.
At dance competitions, everyone gets a trophy – but not everyone gets the trophy. You will not win every time. You might not ever win at all. And you know what? That was always okay with you. The experience was always more important to you than the competition, and you were usually too tired by the time awards came to even care anymore.
11. Teaching you to adapt and learn quickly.
Learning choreography was frustrating in the first place because you had to get all of it down so quickly. It got even more frustrating when you finally got everything perfect, and your teacher changed something at the last minute. Someone got injured and you had to change a formation, or a transition was super awkward and it got scrapped. No big deal – you became a fast learner really quick.
12. Being your home away from home.
The studio was your safe space. When anything was wrong in your personal life, the studio was there to welcome and distract you. You met lifelong friends and future bridesmaids there. Some weekends you saw your dance team more than your own family. You know that no matter where you go off to, you will always be welcome back home at your studio.
13. All the priceless memories.
Late-night McDonald's after stage rehearsals, long car rides to competitions, the times your team did a serious contemporary dance to the modern classic, "Toxic" by Britney Spears. For all the hard work and dedication and long hours, there was just as much silliness, laughter, and downright fun. Some of your best memories from growing up happened backstage at recitals and in the waiting rooms of rehearsal halls.
14. Who you are.
Whether you decided to pursue dance as a career, open your own studio someday, or give up dancing when you got to college, your dance studio will always be a part of you. When someone asks you about yourself, you will always include "I'm a dancer," no matter how long it's been since you put on your ballet slippers. Dance isn't just something you do, it's who you are. Who you are is amazing – and you can thank your studio for that.
