I realized early on in my life that I had zero athletic ability.
And, to be honest, I didn't really care. I played soccer for one awful season at age fuve, and it was a disaster. My dad even tried to draw me crayon diagrams to help me better understand the rules, but it was no use. Any hopes he had of me receiving an athletic scholarship one day were out the window.
My way of staying active from age three to age seventeen was dance. I started with ballet and tap. An unfortunate injury broke my heart and stopped my future in pointe shoes at age fourteen. I certainly wasn't the best, but I would not be the same person had I never stepped foot in a dance class room. Here are some lessons I've learned through dance that have shaped me, both figuratively and literally, for the rest of my life.
1. The importance of practice.
If you don't practice your skills, they won't improve, plain and simple. This can be used as an analogy for school work: If you don't review your notes, you will be lost in lecture, and if you don't study for an exam, your professor will know you didn't bother to crack open your text book. Practice might not make perfect, but dance taught me that with effort and hard work, you will see results and improvement.
2. Always be three steps ahead.
One daym while my class was practicing for our recital, my dance teacher said that dancers always have to be thinking ahead. If you only focus on what you're doing now and don't think about what is coming up in the routine, you will be late and mess up the synchronization that you practiced for weeks. I've realized that this rule has helped me in many aspects of my life. When I'm driving, I'm always thinking about what the GPS will say next so that I am in the correct lane and don't have to switch last minute. I rarely majorly procrastinate with my school work as well, and I normally try to finish projects and papers as far in advance as possible, which helps me stay sane.
3. Just Smile!
One piece of advice I'll never forget is to make sure you look pleasant on stage, because even if you mess up, the audience will be focusing on your cheerful demeanor and will most likely not realize that you didn't nail your turns. I've recently realized the importance of this lesson, as I tend to fall and trip in public places. Rather than getting super embarrassed and worked up, I have learned to brush it off, put a smile on my face, and walk away. With this approach, I avoid further embarrassment.
4. Take time for yourself.
I've always struggled with this one. With school and other responsibilities, it was always easy for me to say I was going to skip one dance class so that I could catch up on some assignments. I still do this in college; sometimes I struggle to make the decision to go out if I feel really behind and overwhelmed. However, whenever my parents forced me to go to class, or whenever my friends convince me to go out with them, I always feel better. It is so important to take a break from what is causing stress in your life. Then, when you are ready to go back to work, you often feel relieved and ready to focus again.
5. Physical activity relieves stress.
Had a bad day? Dance it out. I learned how to channel my frustrations into an extreme focus in class. In fact, I often found that if I was mad about something that had happened earlier in the day, I could pick up choreography quicker than normal. All I wanted to do was focus on anything that wasn't what made me so upset. Now, I go for a jog or a walk when I am upset, and it really helps me clear my head.
6. How to get ready quickly.
Every former dancer knows that sometimes, you just have to get ready in a 90 second time span. There's nothing you can do; complaining will only make your instructor angry. Instead, you learn to layer your tights and have everything organized and ready so all you have to do is peel off your previous costume and get into the next one. While I do enjoy the process of getting ready for formals now and sometimes let it drag out way longer than it needs to be, I have become quite skilled at getting ready very quickly. True story: I got ready for my first cocktail in a span of ten minutes (which was not the plan, but I had a tutoring session that ran a little too long). Every night before class, I lay out my clothes, accessories, hair products, and makeup for the next day in case I oversleep.
Every May, I become nostalgic for dance recital season. I miss the smell of hairspray, the warmth of the bright lights on my skin, and the absolute joy I felt performing on stage. Still, I know that I will carry the lessons I learned with me for the rest of my life.
