Dance conventions are something that I have been going to for as long as I can remember. They have always been something I have looked forward to going to and when I leave them, I find myself with a renewed love for dance. It is so nice to gain a feeling of drive and perseverance after an entire weekend with different teachers and choreographers that have different experiences.

For those who are not aware, dance conventions are companies that take up a weekend and allow dancers to sign up to go to them. Over the course of the weekend, the dancers are taking classes in all different genres of dance from well-known choreographers and dancers who have made names for themselves in the dance world. Some of these faculty have extensive resumes that are extremely impressive and appealing. Taking these classes allows for dancers to learn styles that they are not always used to taking, and even if the genre of dance is familiar to them, each teacher has their own unique way of moving which is usually new to the people taking the class.

A few of the things that stick out to me most about conventions are some of the things that keep me coming back. In dance conventions, there are no mirrors. This is one of my favorite factors because dancers are so concerned with the way that they look. I have spent numerous classes watching myself in the mirror, upset with my movement not looking good or my body in general not looking the way I want to. However, when I step foot in a convention, I am not concerned with the way I look. I find myself more interested in the way the movement is feeling on my body. If it feels good on my body, I find myself diving into my dancing further and exploring things I might be hesitant to try if I were to look in the mirror. I find that while at conventions, I am more open to exploration and my movement as a somatic feeling instead of having it be a visual thing for me.

Another thing that I love about conventions is the networking opportunities. Not only are there so many wonderful well-known teachers, but there are also dancers there that you do not get to take the class with all the time. The amount of talent in the rooms is super inspiring for the others around. I feel like there is a large sense of how large and supportive the dance community needs to be. I always keep in mind that every person in the room is a future potential employer or future colleagues and this pushes me to try to meet as many people as I can during the course of the weekend. Talking to the teachers after class is also such a wonderful and beneficial thing to make sure that they are able to recognize your face. In my experience, the teacher will also usually ask for your name when you thank them for class and they try their hardest to remember you for the next time they see you. It is the best feeling when a well-known choreographer knows your name.

The last thing that I love most about dance conventions is that it is a full weekend of doing what I love the most. I get so much genuine joy from taking a class and experiencing new ways of movement that every time a convention ends, I'm sad that its over. I wish I was able to dance like that all the time and really push myself to become a better dancer. I always find myself to be more motivated when I attend conventions and it completely rejuvenated in my love for my art form. I was able to come back to my dance classes after this weekend's convention with a new hunger and drive for becoming the dancer that I've always wanted to be.

I honestly can not wait until the next time I get to dance my heart out in a hugely inspirational setting.