No matter where you danced, what you danced, or what made you dance, all of us dancers have these in common. They're 15 love/hate relationships, but all will be dearly missed, and forever remind me of my childhood and the memories I will always hold dear to my heart.
*cue the nostalgia*
1. Glitter. Everywhere.
Sparkles of every shape and size are literally embedded into every aspect of your life. You can’t escape. It’s on your face, in your hair, collecting in the bottom of every bag you own, and in your bed. You might even start sweating glitter. But, you’re secretly proud when someone points this out and you can say, “Oh yeah, that’s from dance.”
2. Stiff Hair
The gel and hairspray overload is real. Those little baby hairs that stick out? Gel ‘em down. When you take your hair out to change it for another number, it doesn’t move, at all. (Seriously, look at this picture of me. That's supposed to be a pony-tail. *face-palm*) Even though all that product is a pain to get out, you’re super happy to sport your messy bun around afterwards when you’re too lazy to brush out all the knots.
3. New Shoes
These are painful, and there’s really no way around that. Whether they’re pointe shoes, tap shoes, jazz shoes, or anything in-between, they are not fun to break in… but they’re so pretty, and you can’t stop touching them.
4. Mastering All the Things
When you get the hang of a new trick, step, or move, you feel invincible. You basically just climbed a mountain. Like, that was originally impossible, but now, you are perfection. You could do this in your sleep, and the feeling is awesome. Alright, now let's try that on the left side.
5. Tights
Ruined tights are like battle scars, second best to random bruises. Sometimes they’re ripped, other times they’re black in random places from your shoes, or maybe your costume snagged a piece of them for keeps. You wear those tights like a badge of honor, but your teacher won’t stop bugging you about how you better have a new pair for your next performance, “OR ELSE.”
6. Performing (and Killing) a Dance for the First Time
You just finished up a dance you’ve been working on for a while now, and it’s your first time performing it. The feeling is indescribable, and when you get off the stage you can’t seem to wipe the smile off your face, get enough water, or catch your breath, but nothing beats that feeling of accomplishment.
7. After-Dance Clothes in Public
You just finished a class, rehearsal, or performance, and now you’re returning to the normal world. You stop by somewhere to grab a quick bite to eat, but why are all these people staring at you? Oh yeah! You’re in your post-dance attire. What’s my personal favorite? Tights rolled up to my ankles, booty-shorts, a leotard, the boots I wore earlier in the day, and full stage makeup.
8. Being Stretchy
Touching your toes is no problem, and sometimes you sleep in really weird, contorted positions. Sore muscles are the worst, but you know every trick to stretch those babies right out. Non-dancers complain that you’re weird, but you know they’re just jealous that they can’t do a split.
9. Winning… DUH
Competitions are stressful, but you’re never anything less than confident. Winning awards is SO cool, and you love showing off the 5-star pins and trophies in all your Instagram posts. At first, you're upset when you have to miss out on cool events for competitions, and your non-dancer friends whine that you’re never around, but you tell them you can’t hear them over the sound of your victory.
10. Awkward Poses
You could probably teach a whole class on positioning uncomfortable group photos. It's in your blood. People make fun of the sorority squat, but that's nothing compared to the side-squats, lunges, or holding an arabesque for a dance picture. Don't forget to put your hands on your hips, thumbs forward.
11. Hell Week
This is what we refer to as the week prior to your studio’s show. It’s like a horror movie; you have to try out all your quick-changes, figure out the feel of the stage, and face major last-minute criticism for every number. You will be bruised, you will be gross and sweaty, you’ll probably cry at least once, and you might fall asleep in a really weird place, but in the end you’re never happier than when the show finally comes together. Hell week also makes for some great photo ops, such as:
12. Costumes
You either love them or hate them, but either way, you definitely have rocked each and every one. Getting a new costume feels like Christmas, but so does putting your least favorite one away for good after wearing it a thousand times.
13. Stage Faces
A great dancer has the ability to capture the audience through their face as well as their dancing. As a dancer, it's your responsibility to tell a story. Each number has it's own emotion, and some require duck lips and kissy-faces.
14. Your Dance Teacher
Even when you’re mad at her, you love her. She knows both your weaknesses and strengths, and how to play off of each. She’s your teacher, yes, but also somewhat of a mom and a best-friend, too. You might complain about how she called you out on something, but you wouldn't dare talk back. She sees everything, and I mean everything, especially if you roll your eyes. When you perform and she cries (even though she might try to hide it) your heart is so full of pride and honor. Her choreography may be challenging, but she trusted you and you made her vision come true.
15. Bonding with Your Team
You spend more time putting in work with your fellow dancers and teammates than your own family. Actually, they are your family. They know more about you than anyone else, even the bad things, and they love you all the same. You know each other so well that when someone makes a mistake during a performance, everyone works together to create a seamless fix to the problem. You would do anything for them, and couldn’t imagine sharing the stage with anyone else. Plus, these weirdos will be your friends for life, even after the curtain closes.
