I have been a dancer for almost 16 years now, and I have found that there has not come a day when I have not danced at least once. I find dance to be therapeutic for times when you are going through hardships, and for the times when you cannot control the excitement. The question that floats in my brain from time to time is a question I was asked awhile back “why do you dance”. I could give you the cheesy answer, and say “I dance because it makes me feel alive, and it is my purpose in life.” As perfect as that may sound on paper I feel as though there is a more organic reason as to why I dance. A reason that I believe is quite relatable; I dance to “make sense of it all”. People have their own reasons for choosing a college major in this art form, but in all honesty I just really love it. I find that growing up I danced to make sense of my parents divorce, I danced to make sense of my Aunt Debbie dying too soon, I danced when I lost my Grandparents, I danced out of excitement when I got into The Gold School’s; Project Moves Dance Company, I danced when I got my heartbroken for the first time, and I danced when I found the person who put my heart back together again. All those instances shape the reason why I dance, how I dance, and really what my intentions are for the future. I am double majoring in dance and psychology to become a Dance Therapist one day. I want to help people. I believe that dance has made me happy, and during times of trouble dance gave me a way to cope. No dancing is not for everyone, but sometimes moving in general can give us an appreciation for our bodies. When we can value our bodies we can value ourselves, and when we can do that we find confidence. Confidence is the key to happiness as well getting through your adolescent years.

We make our biggest mistakes in life when we are not confident. Whether it was with a boy when you are a naive 15-year-old girl (because we all are or vice versa). I am not a psychologist (yet), but I would like to argue that being active in sports, dance, music, etc. can really increase an adolescent’s self-esteem because it has for me over the years. As a dancer, you are constantly competing and performing that you find yourself more comfortable being in front of people. You are no longer afraid to advocate for yourself or others, and you find that everything that used to scare you does not anymore. And if something does scare you then you are ready to approach the problem head on.

I am fascinated in the way that people “think” because we all have different ideologies, philosophies, morals, and values. To a certain extent I think that we are who we surround ourselves with, and we are the choices we make. If I did not dance for all these years I would not be half the person I am today, and for that I am grateful. Yes, I had to sacrifice a lot for dance, but in the end I believe that I am a strong woman because of it. I believe that to this day when I am sad, mad, confused, and or happy I dance it out in order to make myself feel better again. Sometimes I don’t, but in the end I go to bed at night feeling liberated. One day I want to help my young adults feel that “liberation” because I believe in the art of dance like some little kids believe in fairytales, and I absolutely believe that it will change their lives. How do I know this? Because it has changed mine.