Practices are two hours long, three times a week. Go to class all day, eat dinner, finish homework, change, and run to the dance studio before you're marked late. Start with the usual eight minute warm ups, legs aching from the practice before, and arms feeling heavy after a long day. Stretch your calves and quads, roll your ankles, and exchange a joke or two because you haven't seen your best friends in two days. As you stretch, you let out a deep breath, leaving the day's worries behind you. Run-throughs, formations, sweat, exhaustion, and focus filled with laughter. It’s all a part of the team.

I’ll never forget my first competition—our promo video blaring while we were backstage, our captains hyping us up with their amazing pep talks, and the feeling of urgency while getting costumes on in the dressing room and still going through the routine all while simultaneously putting lipstick on. I was scared, excited, and nervous all at the same time, but I had never felt so much adrenaline and happiness to be there.

My heart was beating a million times faster than it should while we were fixing our props on stage. The bright stage lights made it seem like it was only us in the whole auditorium and no one else. I could never describe the feeling in words what it felt like to be on stage, knowing that every hour you've put work into is about to pay off and that people are there to cheer your team on with love and support.

So I gave my performance, with not a breath left in me. Afterwards, it didn’t matter whether we placed 1st, 2nd, or last. What mattered the most to us, and to me, was that we came together as a family, a team, and left our heart on stage.

In all essence, it doesn’t have to be a dance team, but if you're apart of any team—whether you’re into tennis, ultimate frisbee, or rugby, I can guarantee you’ll find your family and best friends in one place. You'll find your happiness, and where you're supposed to be.

Joining a dance team my freshman year was and is one of the best decisions I’ve made. Practices may be tough, and they may fall exactly on the days we seem to have a lot of homework or a paper due the next day, but being on a team has taught me discipline. Discipline in that, even though I have ten million other things going on, I absolutely must manage my time in order to finish my work before practice starts, or even a few days earlier. It has taught me to be on time, to be organized, and to be committed to something I have a complete love and passion for. Practice is a place where I can go and relax, and be myself. It's home.