"Why do you dance?"

This is a question each of my college professors has asked me. After thinking about it long and hard, I realized I dance for a lot of reasons. Dance is the biggest part of my life, and I have a lot to thank it for.

Thank you, dance.

Thank you for being there for me when no one else was. Thank you for being my first love. In my darkest times when everything seemed to be going wrong, you were going right. You never failed.

Thank you for letting me be myself. I always thought dance was so specific, but I've learned that dance can be anything you want it to be. With any music, or no music. With a prop, or no prop. With a costume and shoes, or without. In the studio or on the green rug that covered my bedroom floor, you let me express myself. Good days led to happy dances and bad days led to slow, sad dances. Whatever I was feeling, it was OK. I always had a way to let it all out.

Thank you for keeping me in shape. That's just a given.

Thank you for helping me see that there is something I am good at. After bombing tests, falling out of friendships and relationships, and feeling insecure, I always knew that I had something to fall back on.

Thank you for helping me cope. No matter what's going on in my life, I will always feel better after leaving the studio.

Thank you for giving me something to do for the rest of my life. As I sit here finishing my first year of college, I realize how lucky I am to have something that I want to do, something that I want to be. I realize how lucky I am to be studying dance every day and calling it school.

Thank you.