Dance is an art form that allows dancers to express themselves through movement. This is a passion that many hold close to their hearts, like myself. I have been dancing since I was four years old. This is the only activity I have ever known and it is the one that I have kept up with for the longest. Being a dancer has its ups and downs, with drama and stress as the lows and fun-filled performances as the highs. Growing up, I was a part of my studio’s competition team for six years. I have learned so much about life through dance; it has made me a stronger person.
One of the lessons I learned is to never be afraid of facing your fears. I can have major stage fright which makes it difficult to go in front of an audience. It is never a good feeling to have because all I am worried about is getting on stage and completely messing up the routine in front of others. When it comes to competitions, the judges take off points which could make a difference when it comes to first and second place. I try to take deep breaths to calm down. It also helps to go over the routine a few times in your head to remember the steps; this definitely helped when I had my first solo. Dance helped me grow into a person who is not afraid to get up in front of spectators.
Dance helps with people skills. It takes a lot of courage to perform for an audience when you are very young. In dance class, you work with your classmate/teammates to make the routine flawless during practice. When the time comes for a performance, all of the hard work comes together and creates art. I am more confident now to go in front of a group of people to lecture about a topic for class. I act like I am in dance class or on stage, where I do not let my fears get the best of me.
Dance has taught me to never give up. I had teachers tell me I was not good enough and I was not talented. For a moment in time, it brought me down, but then I realized I should not allow someone to make me feel less for their own personal gain. After the teacher left, I started to love dance again. I was surrounded by my friends and teachers who cared about each other and wanted everyone to succeed. I had to make tough decisions when it came to dance in the past. I was faced with having to choose whether to become a member of the competition team, where I would have a teacher I did not favor and less dance classes. Dance is my passion, so it was really hard to pick the option where I would not dance as much as I would have liked to.
In college, I joined a dance group on campus that allowed me to continue my love for dance. I was surrounded by people who welcomed all levels into the club and I was able to dance with people who were on the same level as me. At my old studio, I never felt challenged to be a better dance. I felt like my talent was getting lost because the teachers were more focused on the younger students than teaching us how to do aerials or improving our fouettes. In my first semester in college, I got to dance with others who were way better than I was, but it challenged me to work harder and not get overlooked in a crowd. Dance makes me happy. I love dancing with a group of people who want to have fun even if they have the skill or not. Dance is about the passion and what’s inside your heart, not the awards and medals.
