An open letter to my first love,

I step out into the bright lights beaming warmth across my body, I look out into the crowd of people, watching my every move, fascinated and infatuated. I feel a shiver down my spine, feeling fortunate to be wearing something so beautiful. I look down at my aching feet knowing that in just a few moments, all feeling in them will go numb. I look up again at the people watching me and take a deep breath, in through my nose and out through my mouth. Energy spreads like wildfire all the way to the tips of my fingers. Shoulders pushed back, proper alignment in place, all nervous and anxious thoughts vanish…

I want to thank you for all the time and effort that was put into me being the person I am today. You have taught me discipline, compassion, and expression.

Thank you for my home away from home, a place of comfort in times of distress. I could always count on you to have my back.

I would like to thank you for my best friends. I have built relationships that will last a lifetime. I don’t know what I would do without my people.

Thank you for making me feel beautiful and confident. You’ve helped me learn to love myself.

Last but not least, thank you for giving me a place to express myself, to feel free and able to breathe.

There is nothing more beautiful than to be surrounded by people that share the same love and passion for something as you do. A sense of acceptance and belonging is something I have always felt at dance. It is an escape from all of your problems, a safe place to forget about life for a few hours. My mood outside of dance never dictated my mood at dance. I cannot sit here and say that I’ve enjoyed every single class I have ever taken because everybody has their bad days, even doing something they love. However, I always knew the end result of taking class would be worth it because that way I got to perform. I’ll always attribute my major qualities to my experience as a dancer, shaping who I am and helping me evolve into the person I want to be.

Sincerely,