I've never really been athletic, outgoing, or willing to try new things. There was T-ball and soccer when I was younger, but they were more of just my parents signing me up for a sport, hoping one of them would catch on in the long run. They never did. It wasn't until I went to my first dance class in first grade that I felt that I finally found my place.
At first, it was just very basic, once a week for an hour or so. We learned simple jazz and tap routines because that's the only way to teach a group of 5 and 6 year olds and have them remember the choreography. I quickly found that I loved dancing, and I wasn't half bad at it either. In the years that followed, it became more of a love for a sport than a dreaded Saturday morning practice.
For me it was never about how advanced or technical my dancing could be, but how much fun I could have and how I could make myself better. As I moved on up to the higher level and older aged classes, I was nervous because there were so many better, more experienced dancers in my class, but I knew I still had to try my best to take my skills to the next level.
Of course, as with any sport, there's more to it than the actual execution. There are the friendships and memories of being a part of a team. Practices include actual practice but also laughs with friends and stories to tell for years to come.
I love when I hear only a few seconds of a song and it can take me back to a dance I did years ago or some silly choreography I made up on my own. My dance team in high school brought me some of my best friends and also allowed me to be active and participate in regular school functions and sporting events when I normally wouldn't on my own.
Some might wonder why I chose dance because all eyes are on us when we perform, together or separately. There's tension and pressure building and my nerves are usually all over the place. The truth is, I hate all those things. I hate being the center of attention, being in front of large groups of people, and having nerves so bad that the thought of performing seems impossible.
But with dance, it feels like my time to shine, which is an extra boost in my confidence I often struggle to find. The thrill and excitement to finally show an audience what I've been working so hard on is worth every ounce of nerves I feel before the music begins.
Dance is my outlet to express a side of myself not many people get to see, and that makes every performance so much more rewarding.
