"IF YOU MESS UP....WHAT DO YOU DO?!...KEEP GOING!!" ~ Jennifer Narducci

This is what my dance teacher used to tell my entire dance family as we were patiently waiting for the curtains to open. It always gave us that nervous/exciting feeling, like having to pee, but knowing you wouldn't have time to run all the way down the hall to the bathroom, take off your costume, possibly a leotard and those two pairs of tights...but you would go back to those days in a blink of an eye.

Once you're a dancer, you're always a dancer. You know those feelings, thoughts and skills that every dancer has.

1. You can remember choreography from YEARS ago.

We all know that if a song comes on the radio, even from years ago, we will remember each and every step. It doesn't matter if we were 5, 12 or 18, those moves are still imbedded in our brains.

2. You know how to choreograph in your car.

If you hear a good song on the radio, you don't just listen to the song...you choreograph! Steps start flowing through your head as if it was a choreographed piece. Sometimes you may go home and write it down, or try it at the studio. Either way, sometimes choreographing in your car is the way to go.

3. Clear nail polish.

Clear nail polish was the savior of every recital! It was automatically the worst day ever when you got a run in your tights from pulling them up. You knew that you should have trimmed your nails before...However, clear nail polish saved the day.

4. Finding the right color lipstick.

RED. But which red? Dark red? Orange red? Bright red? Red? We were always lectured on our lipstick color before recitals.

5. Pink over tan.

Enough said.

6. You know how to change in 20 seconds or less.

If you're a dancer, you're an expert at changing fast. Sometimes you're the first and second dance in the first act, which means quick changes! You place all your necessities in the wings and change for your life. The pressure is on, especially when everyone is waiting on you.

However, if you have one dance in between your two dances...easy peasy. It's like having all the time in the world. You might as well go grab a snack while you're changing.

7. Turning out becomes natural.

You can usually tell who is a dancer, just by looking at the way they walk or stand...they are always turned out.

8. No one ever knows the finale...except for the younger kids.

The best part about being older is the finale. You get to jump around in the back and learn it for your first time at rehearsal. Yes, you should know it, but everyone is in front of you so why not have a good time while you're there?

9. Guessing who's going to win "Dance Princess."

At my studio, we have a scholarship called "Dance Princess." Every year the teachers decide on one student that has improved the most throughout the year. It is a great honor to win, so dancers are always guessing who the next "Dance Princess" will be.

10. When you've learned the entire dance, and it's time to clean it.

You know that you're going to sweat when you hear the Spongebob Square Pants theme song...

You know it's real when your teacher keeps stopping the music and telling you to start over because someone messed up.

11. Dancing in groups.

This is my favorite part. As it gets closer to the recital, we split into groups and dance our hearts out. We are paired with another dancer who is to watch their partner's every move and critique them after their performance. Sometimes we may even do the dance alone.

12. That excited feeling because you heard costumes are in.

You cannot wait to try on your costume. You know everything is starting to come together.

13. Coming together for recital.

We are not only dancers, we are a family.

I remember when I was little, I used to look up to the older girls as they would leap, sway and turn across the floor. I wanted to be just like them as they glided across the floor like it was simple. However, in less than a blink of an eye, I was one of the older girls and the younger girls looked up to me as I would leap, sway and turn across the floor.

As I sit here and think about all the memories I have made with my dance family, it is clear to me that once you're a dancer, you're always a dancer. It doesn't matter how old you are, it all comes naturally as your toes touch the floor.

We are not only dancers, we are a family. We support each other through those tough days where you could do nothing right, when you slip because you didn't put enough rosin, or those times that you knew you had so much homework to do, but dance was a priority.

You don't realize how far and fast life takes you until you take a step back and enjoy the moment. Keep dancing.