If you were to ask a random person off the street to define dance, they would probably give you the Webster's Dictionary definition: "Dance is the act of moving one's body in a way that goes with the rhythm and style of music that is being played". And they would be absolutely correct. that's just barely the basis of it.

I've been dancing for just about sixteen years. I've been trying to figure out how to define "dance" for fifteen of those years. And I've come to one conclusion:

Dance has no definition.

Dance is a complicated chemical mixture of good and evil. It is freeing, but it is also restricting. It can make you feel like the most confident person, but also the most self-conscious. Dance can make you feel as light as a feather, but also as heavy as a boulder. Dance will bring the greatest joy, but also the greatest pain.

Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't change a thing about my history with dance. I don't regret for one second that my mother signed me up for dance lessons instead of soccer or volleyball. Dance is a way to communicate when we have lost the power of words. It is a way to deliver a message without saying anything at all. Dance is a way to portray struggle, joy, heartache, and curiosity. Dance is a way to connect with others on an intimate level that conversation just doesn't allow for.

But... dance is also the most excruciating pain. To dance is to push your body to it's extreme, until it's screaming. And then push it some more. Dance is bloody blisters from pointe shoes. It's dozens upon dozens of injuries, and countless months of physical therapy. Dance is thousands of bruises. It is long nights and early mornings in the studio. It's countless parties missed because "I have to go to dance class".

Dance is many mental breakdowns, tears, and stress. Dance is wondering, "why in the world did I sign up for this? This isn't making me happy..."

But.. dance is a home away from home. No matter what is happening in your life, you can let everything go once you step into that mirrored room. Oftentimes there is nothing more satisfying than the sound of your dance shoes squeaking on the wooden floor. Once you start turning and jumping and gliding across the floor, you've gone from a troubled soul to a majestic queen.

Dance can be an evil in your life. But for me, it's a necessary evil. And although dance is undefinable, it will continue to define me.