Growing up as a dancer meant performing all year round; performing was the moment you had on stage where all eyes were on you and you felt on top of the world. Being a performer was nerve wracking, but thrilling at the same time; you never wanted it to end. Being a dancer and performing was my favorite thing in the world, and I can guarantee that all dancers will agree with this statement. We work so hard to have those moments on stage and we truly work our butts off to prove to everyone how amazing we are as dancers. If you were a dancer, then you’ll completely understand where I am coming from with these facts about dancing and performing!
Costumes:
Whether it’s a recital, competition or ballet performance we all got those amazing costumes, sometimes they weren’t the most flattering or comfortable, but it was still awesome wearing something new. Either way we got a chance to dress up and wear something different which was always a lot of fun! I remember getting my first tutu as a little girl and hoping that one day when I was older I would be able to wear a “big girl” tutu. Luckily, that day did come for me in my performance of The Nutcracker my senior year of high school. I finally had a chance to wear a classic platter tutu, which is every dancers dream (at least for me). Looking stunning in your costume on stage was the best feeling ever and you miss it whenever you listen to a certain piece of music, or see an old picture of yourself. Sometimes those costumes were a pain to deal with, but at the end of the day you loved looking beautiful in your costume and dancing your heart out!
Wearing stage makeup and looking fabulous:
Having a chance to glam up your face with makeup was the coolest thing, especially when you were a little girl! You thought you were so sophisticated with your “grown-up” makeup and you honestly thought you were twenty-five, but really you were only ten years old. Our moms helped us with our makeup like no other because let’s be honest, an eight year old putting on eyeliner is a disaster in the making. You thought you looked awesome with your stage makeup on and sometimes you never wanted to take it off! Although, when you had to take it off it was the worst thing ever, so thank god for makeup remover! Putting on that makeup made you feel beautiful and you miss it every once in a while, so I mean it never hurts to glam up like you used to and reminisce about your performing days.
Being at the studio on Saturday’s wasn’t too bad:
Spending the entire day at your dance studio was something you looked forward to all week because it was a chance to be with all your friends and literally dance all day! I mean you hated it sometimes when you were tired or didn’t feel well, but otherwise you loved being at the studio on Saturday's. It was always a lot of fun being in class with your friends, and don’t even get me started with rehearsals! They were always exciting and full of entertainment and excitement. It was thrilling learning new pieces of choreography, or mastering a new dance step. Being at the studio on Saturday’s was a lot of fun; you created the most memorable moments there and had a blast dancing with your friends.
Leaving School For Dance Was Awesome:
When you were a dancer and had performances or competitions that were far away, leaving school early or not going to school at all was the coolest thing ever. Especially when you were a little kid, you thought you were the coolest one around because you could leave school early to go perform. I know in high school I still got excited about leaving school early for performances, but can you blame me? Leaving school to go dance was something awesome and most people didn't have a chance to do that. If you were lucky enough too, sometimes you would have a chance to go out and eat somewhere before the show (which was freaking great). “Peace out school, hello curtain call".
The Friendships You Made:
Since so much of our time was devoted to being at the studio for classes or rehearsal you grew up with your dance friends. They became like family to you, they were the only ones who truly understood “dance talk”, and you could always count of them to hear you out about how a rehearsal went or if you were frustrated with a piece of choreography. They were your best friends and you had the most fun with them. Anytime you and your dance friends were invited to a Sweet 16 or any kind of party, you all knew how to get down on the dance floor and make the party a whole lot better. You weren’t afraid to get up and dance because you were never alone, you always had your dance friends to go out and dance with. Let’s face it, your dance friends were the best because they truly understood your passion for dance, they understood the frustrations of being a dancer, they understood it all when it came to dance. These friends became lifelong friends; I mean you may not see them all the time like you used too, but when you do get together it’s just like old times. You'll still talk about those insane rehearsals you had or how much fun it was performing at at that one theater, you still talk about dancing like it was yesterday.
You Became A SYTYCD Addict:
If you're not familiar with the abbreviation SYTYCD, it stands for So You Think You Can Dance, which is a show on Fox. When that show came out in 2005 it changed the lives for so many aspiring dancers, it gave them a chance to put themselves out their and show America how amazing they truly were. As a dancer I grew up watching the show and seeing people like; Twitch and Travis Wall go from contenders on the show to amazing choreographers and leaders for Team Street and Team Stage (this past season), blows my mind. These men are incredibly genuine, amazing and talented human beings that inspired so many dancers. As a dancer it was our duty to watch the show, it was our job to take note of the different and unique dance styles. The show opened our hearts and mind to different forms of dance and the show also created role models for young dancers. This show became a serious addiction for most dancers, but can you blame them? Nope! SYTYCD is an outstanding show, and we can thank Nigel Lythgoe for that!
Being On Stage:
When you were on stage the world just stopped, you felt incredible, it was an indescribable feeling you had. As performers we always had to make sure our facial expressions were perfect, we wanted the audience to know how happy we truly were to be performing for them. I absolutely loved being on stage; having the lights shine on you was such an exhilarating feeling, it's a feeling that only dancers could relate too. Being on stage was what you looked forward too, all those rehearsals and endless nights at the studio finally paid off. You’ll never forget those moments you had on stage, they’ll always stay with you; in your mind and your heart.
Growing up as a dancer I always looked forward to performing, that was my favorite thing to do. I was that dancer who always got extremely flustered while in the wings right before I was about to step out on stage, but the second I did those butterflies went away. Hearing the music, being on that Marley floor, and having the lights shine on me made me feel on top of the world. It gave me such a rush, it was an incredible feeling. As a senior in high school I was Snow Queen in our annual production of The Nutcracker, being that role was such an honor and one of the most memorable moments in my life. I had been a part of the production of The Nutcracker for ten years so I had a lot of emotions running through my mind as I danced these last shows. During my last performance as Snow Queen I remember the music was reaching its peek and I couldn’t keep it any longer, I just stood on stage in my position and cried. I stood there in my beautiful tutu and just soaked it all in, I knew this moment was going to be one I never forgot. I then lead the Prince and Clara to the Land of the Sweets and as I did I remembered why I danced, I remember why I loved performing. That is a moment in my life that truly made me realize how short life is. Dancing made me realize to never take anything for granted and to live out my dreams, thank you to all the amazing dance teachers in my life, you'll always be remembered in my heart.
