Dear Dance Teacher,
It's been years since I've last seen you, but the lessons you taught me in my seven years of dance have stayed with me all this time. I just wanted to take this time to thank you for everything that you've done for me, because what you do truly matters.
When I first came to dance, it was just supposed to be a hobby; something else for me to do so I wasn't home all day. That all changed because I had you for an instructor. You took your passion and turned it into inspiration for me, and I'm sure you've done the same for many other students who have danced through that studio. You made me want to do more and be better; but even more so, you made me believe that I could do more and that I could be better at a time when I didn't think much of myself at all. You instilled in me a confidence that has only grown stronger.
I was so shy when I first started dancing, but you helped me to crawl out of my shell. I was constantly nervous about what other people would think of me; I never wanted to look stupid trying to do a new dance move, but you helped me to realize that we were all there to learn. You taught me that failing in front of others didn't make me some loser or a bad dancer -- it meant that I wasn't afraid to try new things in order to better myself.
You taught me how to keep going no matter what. Your constant encouragement made me feel like my failures weren't just failures but steps getting me closer to nailing that final move. I took that lesson with me outside of the studio, and I challenge myself every single day because of it.
You gave me an escape. Dance was the only place where I felt like nothing and no one could get to me. In that one hour, I never thought about my problems in school or with my friends and family. That stuff didn't matter to me in the studio. I could leave everything at the door, because I knew that when I walked in I was in a place of love and encouragement. That meant the world to me.
Thank you for caring about me. It wasn't just dance to you either; you cared about all of the lives of your students. You celebrated our successes (in and out of the studio) with us. You gave us advice. You got to know us. You saw us at our best and you saw us at our worst. But no matter, what you always believed in us.
Dance will always have a place in my heart because you put it there. Thank you for sharing your passion with me.
My life was changed for the better, because I had you for a dance teacher.
Much Love,
Your Student Forever
