When I was a little girl, my Mom enrolled me in some dance classes, just like every other typical girl. I enjoyed it for a little while until I heard about sports, mainly soccer and volleyball, and decided I'd rather be out in the dirt than in a tu-tu.
Once I got to high school, I would watch the dance team at all the home football games and basketball games because I was in pep band. I would think, "that is not dancing, more like just shaking their butt in public to music." Every dance or so would have one spectacular move that was awe striking, but the dance as a whole never did anything for me. I just didn't see the point in it. Being in the band was more of my thing and half-time was the time for food and a quick walk around, not watching more things going on. The band plays some "background" music and once the time is up, back to the game.
It wasn't until college that I really saw what dancing was suppose to be. A group on campus put on a show called "Lets Go To The Movies" and after the first number, I was hooked. I knew I needed to be in that group. It looked like they were having so much fun and were proud to be showing off all their hard work to an audience.
That next year I did end up joining the group. The show's theme was "World War II: How Nebraska Won The War." I never had so much fun in my life. I met some amazing people, and I'm so proud to call them some of my closest friends. And once again this year, I am in the group with even more people who felt the same way I did, sitting in the audience a year earlier.
Dance is more than just moving your body to a song. Dancing is telling the story of the music. It is a visual repetition of the sounds being heard. The thing is, everyone hears music differently, so one person's dance to a song could possibly be nothing like the dance someone else has for the same song. There is so much room for expression and growth though dance. It's also one heck of a workout depending on the dance you do.
Dance in itself is a sport. You may not get to kick people or hit people in the face with a ball, but it is so much like a sporting event. Within shows there is act one or half one, intermission or half time, and then act two or second half. There really isn't winning or losing, but it takes physical and mental stamina to keep going. There have been days that I have ached so badly from practice the night before and I ask myself, "Why am I doing this, again?" Then show time rolls around and I see the full crowd, I know exactly why I chose to dance. I may not be your typical dancer, still very much more of a tomboy than a girly-girl, but you don't have to be either to dance. You just have to be yourself.
Because of dance, I've connected with so many people I never would have without it. With the people that I already knew, I got to know even better. The dance group I am in is like a family, we do spend a lot of time together. We all have our quarrels with each other. We help each other though ups and downs. And, we know that we will never have to eat lunch alone.
