From the age of four until now I have been immersed in the world of dance. I took ballet, modern, jazz, some tap, lyrical, and contemporary. No, I wasn't incredibly good, but I loved doing it all. At the time, I was also a competitive swimmer. I had more talent in that field, so I started swimming year round when I was 12. I loved swimming, but I felt like I was missing something in my life. I didn't discover what that was until I got to college, and discovered dancing again after a six year break.
I'd forgotten that dance was a part of who I was and I'd forgotten how it had made me feel.
I became involved in a dance group called Performing Arts Club by first semester freshman year. At those first auditions everyone was lanky, a lot of people had leotards, they were flexible and a lot of people had their hair slicked back in a perfect "Ballet bun." I had none of these things, and I was incredibly intimidated.
We all got a number and we started warming up and learning two routines. It was then, in that moment, that I realized what I had been missing. I also realized how much I had to catch up.
Over the next two years I've worked hard to become an acceptable dancer, and I've learned all of the reasons why I love dance, and I want to continue dancing throughout my life.
I'd been an actor and singer in high school, participating in all of the musicals, and I never experienced the amount of cathartic release that I have from dancing. I had immersed myself into characters, and songs, but I never cried or truly felt any real emotion on stage until dancing.
Last spring, I was in a dance that was to the song "Hometown Glory" by Adele, and on the last performance, I cried as soon as I got off of stage. I'd never felt anything like that before. There's something really satisfying about leaving it all out there on the stage.
Another reason I love dance is that it makes me feel beautiful. With the costumes, makeup, movement, hair, and music, it all just makes me feel really pretty. I love getting on stage with all of the bells and the whistles and performing. Dance is a beautiful art form.
