For 15 long years, from the ages three to 18, I was madly in love with dance. From learning the steps, to the final production at the end of the year I lived and breathed dance; dance was my best friend. There were a few bumps in the road during my dance years, but that is to be expected for every dancer. Then one day, I woke up and realized that I was no longer in love with dance.
I know some of you might not understand this, but I still love dance, just in a different way. I appreciate the hard work that comes with the nature of dance, whether it is ballet, modern, lyrical, jazz or hip-hop. I love watching dances because they are beautiful.
By taking a step back from dance, it made me appreciate the time when I was actually dancing, and remember all the memories I have from my years of dance. I remember my first day of dance ... okay, well my mom does, and she said I had no problem leaving her. I took my dance teacher's hand and never looked back. My first dance memory. Another memory I cherish is when I was around five, I asked my dance teacher when I could have Pointe shoes. She responded, "maybe in a few years." I made sure to stick with ballet as it would eventually lead me to Pointe shoes.
My ballet class and I bought our first pair of Pointe shoes in eighth grade, and I remember that we were told that we ourselves had to sew the laces on the shoes. I was so excited, because that meant the next dance year we would put on our first Pointe dance on stage in front of an audience. Unfortunately, I hit a bump in the road the next dance year. I ended up tearing my Anterior Cruciate Ligament that sidelined me for the duration of the dance year. I was crushed as I did not get to live out my childhood dream right away. However, I did return to dance that year to participate in Lyrical as my teacher choreographed the dance a way that would include me if I were able to dance.
One of my favorite memories from dance was during my senior of high school in my Pointe dance because we danced to "Stars and Stripes Forever." It was my teacher's dream to do a military dance on Pointe and we did just that.
By the time I got to college, I joined the Dance Club. I ended up not enjoying the club, not because of the leaders or anyone in the class, I just realized my love for dance was dwindling fast, and I was fine that it was happening to me. An era just ended, and I looked at the bright side and realized I could find something else to get involved with, and that was journalism: The Beacon and Odyssey.
I love dance because of the memories I made, I grew up with dancing, and I miss it most days and if I could go back to the dance center in my hometown and dance again in recitals, then I would go back in a heart beat. But right now, it is time for me to bid farewell to the wonderful world of dance, and and cherish the memories that I made.
