When I was a toddler, my mom would turn on the radio and watch me spin and jump to whatever happened to be playing. When I started first grade, I joined the Mascots, which included trying to get twenty-five little girls to move their arms and legs at the same time in order to be "gunison." It hardly ever worked out as planned, but kids are cute, so it was ok. Then, there was Pep Squad, which was composed of 2nd through 4th graders. Slowly but surely, I began to understand how to count in time to the beat of the music. I think my biggest break was making the dance team called the Sensations for my 5th grade. I learned how to pirouette and leap. I learned the famed 'box-step' and 'The Charleston'. Floor work always killed my knees, but it was my favorite part of dance for some reason. I continued my dancing into high school and did not stop until I got to college. But during high school, I was interested to an entirely new world of dance. I learned moves I cannot name to this day. I absolutely loved it though. I say all of this to begin to say how dance changed my life.
Dance changed my life because I learned how to take initiative. By initiative I mean I learned that not everyone on the team will learn as quickly as I will. I took it upon myself to help those people, whether that meant longer practices or even practice after official practice had ended. I wanted the team to look good. Each year of dance was like an additional family to me. We learned together, sweated together, cried together, cheered together and ultimately learned to love one another. Many times, I remember consoling one another before, during and even after practice. In general, dance truly brought the oddest of people closest together. Girls who I would have never talked to before, I can call my friend now because of dancing together. Dance taught me to be a leader but still listen to the quiet ones. It is not always the loudest, prettiest, most outgoing dancer with good ideas. It is important to listen to all aspects of the team. Dance also taught me it is OK to not like and agree with everyone. In dance, and in life, it is completely normal to not like someone. Dance taught me to respect those people regardless of our differences.
To say dance was only a sport would be lying. Dance is a huge part of my childhood. It taught me discipline, culture, work-ethic, determination, perseverance, humility, and friendship. Dance taught me it is OK to not be perfect but to do always do my best.
