For most, the idea of ballroom dancing goes two different ways. There are those who know ballroom dancing as the central focus of the show "Dancing With The Stars," and there are those who think the sport is reserved strictly for those over 70 years of age. Contrary to popular belief, ballroom dancing is done by regular people, and there are people who live and breathe the sport of all ages. One of those people is me.
Growing up as a ballroom and Latin dancer wasn’t the slightest bit conventional. While all of the other kids got to go out and have fun on the weekends, I was in the studio practicing on Friday, doing a Saturday performance and competing on Sunday. To me, this was more fun than any other weekend outing.
I was always surrounded by my best friends, and we all shared a love for the same thing. With these people, I shared some of my most memorable experiences. We would dance for celebrities, we would go out to weekend-long competitions and root each other on, and my personal favorites were just goofy moments at practice. I had to skip many birthday parties, many casual get-togethers and countless dinner outings, but I didn’t mind because I was doing what I loved.
There are few stranger things in life than seeing a 13-year-old show up to her middle school with a spray tan. In case you were hoping this was a one-time thing, it wasn’t. Just like a soccer player needs a ball, or a tennis player needs a racket, a ballroom dancer needs a spray tan. If it sounds odd to you, imagine how my classmates treated it. I vividly recall people calling me “Dorito” and “Oompa Loompa” to my face, and even taking some of these comments to the internet. There were even times where I would have to go to school with full hair and makeup. Yes, this means glue would be holding my hair up and I would have fake eyelashes on that were bigger than butterfly wings.
As much ridicule as I received from my classmates, I wouldn’t change a thing. These experiences made me into the person I am today. These moments taught me to ignore any negative comments because all that really mattered was how much I loved my sport, even if I had to show up to school looking like I just stepped off the set of "So You Think You Can Dance."
Being a ballroom dancer instilled a confidence in me that I still carry today. The sport made me realize how much of a fierce and powerful woman I am both on and off the dance floor. So my way of growing up was a little different from the norm, but isn’t everyone’s? Ballroom and Latin dance taught me so many things. I learned to tap into emotions I had never felt before. I learned how to treat a partner, because without them, my dance would be nothing. I learned how to control and respect my body because it is the main instrument in dance. The biggest lesson of all that I learned is how to love something. I learned what it means to be passionate about something, and to put my all into it, no matter what it may be. Plus, it’s always fun to bust out a cha-cha on a wedding dance floor.
