I can remember it clearly. It was 2013 and I was going through one of the worst times of my life. It was my senior year in high school, I was supposed to be happy, living in the last moments of my high school experience. Instead, I was dying inside. But one thing always managed to make me smile. Dance was my everything -- and it still is.

That year my dance teacher, Ms. Jaquette Green, asked us to prepare a 32-count piece of choreography that we wanted to put into the performance for our Christmas show. We were dancing to a gospel song, and I was excited to show her all that I had learned throughout the years. The day we had to present our pieces, I came to practice nervous, but ready. Little did I know that I would have the most cathartic experience ever to date. When it was my turn to dance something happened and the music took over my movement, my mind, my essence. I felt the beats and lyrics move through me. Through that little piece, I was letting go of all the sadness and pain I was holding in, and out of nowhere tears started flowing from my eyes. I did not stop. I did not miss a beat. I just kept on going. When I was done, Ms. Green just touched my shoulder, sending a message of support. She knew where I was coming from. She knew what I had just experienced.

Dance has always been the one thing that would make me happy. I would always anticipate days when I had performances and days when I had practice. Across the globe, dance is known as an art form and a form of expression. I truly believe that is how dance has affected my life. It has expressed all the emotions and feelings I try to push away.

I started dancing around four or five-years-old. I was always the life of the party and the “cute” entertainment for my family. My mother actually says that I would get so many complaints from teachers in grade school saying that I would just randomly get up and dance in class. It sounds weird, but I just could not stop dancing, and my mom noticed that I had such a love for it. She had to enroll me in a dance school.

I am so thankful that my mother recognized my talent and did her best to make sure I got a weekly dose of dance in my system. I started with ballet at seven years old and went on to hip-hop and jazz . During those years of my childhood, dance was fun and it . But when I entered high school, dance become so much more than the hobby I loved. It became my escape, my outlet, my everything. I danced modern and hip-hop all four years of high school. As a teenager, you go through a lot mentally, physically, and emotionally. As I said earlier, I was going through a lot and every time I would dance I forgot about all the things that were looming over me. I lived for the cheers of the audience, the routines, the music, and even the hectic practices that sometimes went hours over time. It was all amazing to me. I can remember almost all of the routines.

Now that I am in college, it is the one thing I miss about being away. I haven’t found a dance group that resonates with me and even though I’m doing pretty well internally, I still wish I had practices and shows. More importantly, I miss my dance family. What we did as a unit, was heal each other and bring joy to people. It truly doesn’t get better than that. But I have not stopped dancing, I will dance every day if I can, just for fun.

For all of you out there, find something you love that helps you express yourself because you’ll always have it to fall back on. I found dance, and I'm never letting go.