About a decade ago, I took the leap of faith and went to a dance audition. Without any previous experience, I automatically fell in love with dance and the idea of performing in front of hundreds of people. However, as the years went on, I realized that there was so much more to dance than just the training and performing. These are things I have learned I can take with me for the rest of my life.
These things come mostly from the people I've gotten to share my dance experience with. Not just my mentors and my teammates, but also the people that cheered us on in conventions, judged our competitions and danced alongside us in the classrooms. Dance introduced me to a whole different type of unique community, especially in the years where I transitioned into hip-hop.
A classroom filled with passionate hip-hop dancers is by far the most amazing thing I have been able to experience, especially at the well-known studios that I have finally gotten to take classes at.
The most amazing part is everybody there had a hunger to grow and be the best they could be. We all had that in common. Though, that was pretty much the only thing. When I looked at the room full of people learning, I saw people of all different races and ages looking at the teacher with admiration and trying to master the combination as quickly as possible.
However, the thing that stood out to me the most in those classes was not the amazing dancers or the intricate combo, but one conversation I heard faintly in the background while the class shared the dance room in smaller groups.
That conversation stood out to me so much because while those two people were talking, they couldn't understand each other. I only knew this because of one person having to ask, "Do you speak English?". I was amazed.
Here I was, in a room full of people, and I could interpret what everyone had to say through their dance. Some of the people I was inspired by didn't even speak the same language as me, yet we could communicate with each other and share a common love with each other without saying a single word, or using any type of translator. It was so natural and beautiful.
Things like that are very rare. I left those classes that day realizing how blessed I was to be a part of something so unique and special.
The best part is that dance has gained such a wide platform over the years that anyone is able to be touched by an artist who is trying to get their message across and into your mind. In the end, I truly believe that art is an amazing gift to this world that we all should appreciate more.
