For some, dance is maybe three classes a week and a recital in June. For others, dance trumps normal childhood life, as a “school day” is spent at the ballet barre and “hanging out with friends” is the short chatter that occurs when you eat veggies while quickly switching from pointe to jazz shoes. For me, dance was a passion, dance was an expression of my emotion, dance was my 36 hours a week of exercise, and dance was abruptly ended by my abused feet and ankles. Unforeseen and finite injuries ended my dance career at age 17, before my goal to minor in dance in college and take classes at Steps or Broadway Dance Center, after a long day in my NYC office, could be fulfilled. Dancers, who started off young and strong inciting a rigorous schedule of classes and rehearsals, too often are left with battered feet and some chronic injury. Do I regret dedicating endless hours and energy to a sport and art form that left me wearing ankle braces for 6 months? Do I regret going to high school for dance for a year, resulting in me going to physical therapy 6 hours a week? Do I regret ignoring the orthopedic surgeons who told me continuing pointe and ballet weren’t a good idea? I regret nothing. There’s a special discipline, appreciation for the finer things, and mindset that comes from growing up as a dancer. Although it’s left me unable to wear certain heels and caused a walk across my college campus to warrant icing and heating, no other sport, no heels, and no painless walk could replace dance.

1. You’re so judgmental of any dance you see, from a ballet at ABT, to a college dance troupe’s routine, to a drunk girl dancing at a bar. You can’t help but note their form, fluidity, and if the group is dancing in unison. The best opportunity for this judgement is while watching "Dance Moms."

2. You’re never afraid to flaunt your flexibility at the gym while stretching. Although your strength may be far from where it once was, your flexibility is intact and often a terrifying sight for everyone else.

3. Hearing any song that you once did an across the floor combination to or performed to brings back memories and moves, inciting an individual performance in front of your mirror.

4. Everything is always counted in eights, and will forever be. A five, six, seven, eight!

5. Sometimes, you try to do fouettes, but realize there will never be enough space for your a la seconde turns in your bedroom or kitchen. There’s no room like a studio.

6. You think you know French. Your vocabulary ranges from Port de Bras (carriage of the arms, duh) to Adagio (slowly) and Battement (beating).

7. Hearing “I Hope I Get It” from "A Chorus Line" brings back too many flashbacks of attempting to learn that combination. Step, kick, kick, leap, kick, touch!

8. You’ve been in more than one Nutcracker performance in your lifetime. Clara was #goals when you were younger, and Sugar Plum Fairy was #key to knowing you were your studio’s favorite!

9. You’re really good at reversing things, because across the floor consisted of 10 seconds of panic as you swapped sides of the room. There was nothing as terrifying as disappointing your teacher because you failed to reverse a combination that seemed ~simple~ on the right side.

10. Sickling still disgusts you. Whether a dancer or non-dancer sickles their foot, it causes intense nausea.

11. Your posture is impeccable from all of those hours at the barre trying to hit a beautiful arabesque while maintaining balanced shoulders and minimal back arch.

12. All of your pointe shoes are in an old dance bag in your closet because why not? Hundreds of costumes and tights are probably hidden away too. It’s not a hoarding issue, it’s an “I miss my dance glory days” issue.

13. A lot of your internet history is Youtube videos of 7-year-old’s competition teams from California, or Polina Semionova killing it in Swan Lake.

14. No shopping will ever replace shopping for new leotards at the beginning of the dance year.

15. You’ll never feel as cool as you felt when you started wearing your tights OVER your leotard.

16. While others have mastered the “messy bun,” you have mastered a tight ballet bun with only a hair tie, a few bobby pins, and, most importantly, level 10 hair gel.

17. People are forever afraid of your feet because your bones are out of place, you permanently have calluses from being barefoot in every modern class, and they just look wrong.

18. You find yourself laying in positions others find uncomfortable, like a split or your leg stretched to your head. Sometimes, you even fall asleep in these comfy positions.

19. You still practice balancing while brushing your teeth.

20. Getting weirdly competitive on the dance floor or when everyone is trying to learn Justin’s “Sorry” dance is the norm. I danced my whole life so I’m going to be the best at it! Sound familiar?

21. Walking around in relevé is natural. It also makes you appear a few inches taller.

22. Dance pictures were your photographic prime. The costumes, the poses, the facial expressions. These pics embody the true you.

23. Finding a replacement for the ballet barre in the “real world” is impossible. No headboard, desk chair, or couch can replace the barre.

24. You’re waaaay too comfortable in spandex. People may question why you wear Nike Pros to the gym or when you hang out, but they haven’t even seen your bright color unitards.

25. While listening to any and every song, you mentally choreograph a piece. You can identify the best parts for a turning section, a dramatic pause, or a nice jeté.

26. Even if you only took tap when you couldn’t recite the alphabet, you still find yourself tapping around the supermarket. Shuffle ball change is the move.

27. You still remember the lyrical warmups to “Belong” by Cary Brothers, among other songs.

28. You are the star of your Zumba class. You are better than the teacher. Nothing beats a dance background of ballet for 10+ hours a week.

29. Everyday, you miss the endless, strict training, the neverending muscle pains, and the beauty and grace that is dance. You would give both legs to get back in the studio. But, actually, you need those legs to dance so... never mind. Just take me back.