I’ve been dancing for 15 years. I started at the Perna Dance Center. There, I found a second family and a new passion there. I was taught how to be a lady with confidence and empowerment.

I joined the dance program in high school. It meant no gym for four years and getting to dance more. I auditioned for the troupes and even got to teach one of those dances as a senior.

It was a privilege.

I auditioned for the dance team, and by some luck, I made it. I wasn’t captain, but that was okay because I wouldn’t have been a good one. My teammates were perfect for the role.

I danced at football games, pep rallies, and competitions with them over those four years. A third family.

I took off from dance during my first semester of college. Well, really, I auditioned for the dance team and I didn’t make it. After a while, I was okay with that.

Then I found 3D Dance Crew, and as of a few weeks ago, I have my fourth family.

Once again, I’m surrounded by talent that surpasses my own. I’m surrounded by girls who can’t help but continue to dance because maybe they’re like me and they’d be lost without it.

I’m learning dances at an intense rate, and it reminds me of high school when my routine was so strict. I knew nothing else but it. The routine is coming back to me and I’m starting to not feel so lost in the realm of higher education.

It’s scary, large, and new; but the simplicity of being able to go to practice, a feeling I’ve felt my entire life, helps me make sense of the world again.

I don’t feel like a little kid someone let loose on campus; I feel like a person again.

I’ve never been able to put into words how important and defining dance is for me. It’s a part of me. I knew dance before I knew myself.

I’ve always had strong women in my life, not just my mother or my sisters, but my second and third mothers and hundreds of other dance sisters who have given me the opportunity to mold myself with their help.

There are people who run or go to the gym to get rid of the emotional tension that creases their shoulders. I’d rather dance and let the music take control of me.

I have yet to find a feeling better than when I let the music take hold of me. When I don’t have to think about the steps and I can become a part of the music, it’s beautiful and it’s magical.

I think that’s the reason I can’t let it go. I’ve experienced a rare form of bliss and I want to hold onto it for the rest of my life.

You can’t argue with me that there’s a better way to release your emotions than being able to go dance and throw yourself on the floor, or into kicks, jumps, or turns.

It makes me feel human again. I will never forget where I come from in dance, but I can’t wait to grow and learn more from the girls in 3D Dance Crew.