Throughout my life I have tried many sports, basketball, soccer, swimming, gymnastics, you name it. When I was 3 years old my mom put me in dance class and here I am 17 years later still learning but now teaching something I love to do. I have learned so much not just about this form of art but in all aspects. As I travel to a convention for a weekend full of dancing, I think about what I would be like if I didn't dance and quite frankly, I can't. From this I just wanted to say thank you.

Thank you for being there when I had a bad day at school. Being at the studio for a few hours everyday allowed me to forget about that test I didn't do so well on, or drama that could have been happening. While there were times I was at the studio a lot, it meant late nights and time management. There were times in the mornings where I stayed up so late doing homework the night before that I couldn't keep my eyes open in class the next day, but it's worth it. It meant leaving a sleepover on a Saturday morning to get to dance class. It has made me well rounded. Thank you for showing me that it takes hard work and determination to get something that I really want, even if it does not go as planned or takes longer than usual. There is always another day or something else around the corner. Thank you for all of the opportunities that have been put in my path so far and the people that I have met. I may not have gotten a part in an audition but what is bigger is that I felt comfortable and confident to go. Thank you for making me come out of my shy shell, gain confidence and have a big personality. Thank you for making me aware of my body. I can identify my strengths and weaknesses to improve, not to get myself down.

Thank you for the teachers who have taught me over the years. I respected that you were there to teach me but I was also able to talk to you about anything. I may not see some of you anymore or I may still see you regularly but it's because of you that I kept coming to tumbling even if I was scared or kept on doing ballet even if I struggled. It may not have seemed like it sometimes but I wanted to work for it, I wanted to be there, from the warm ups to the across the floor combinations to the improv sessions to the recital dances. I enjoyed helping out with the younger classes being an assistant no matter what I had to do. The little tips and tricks whether they be verbal or just a self observation gave me a jump start for being a teacher now. It is because of all of you that I have learned, improved, and achieved. The impact you had on my growth is bigger than you will ever know. Now I get to do the same thing.

Finally, thank you dance for helping me shape into the person I have become. I have stuck with you for many years and plan to somehow for the rest of my life. Being a teacher now has allowed me to help younger students grow even if it is only for 1 hour a week. Creating a connection with them has not only gained their trust in me but has opened my eyes to anything that may or may not matter. I love seeing their smiles when they walk in and hearing them say hello. I love that they are comfortable enough to not just tell me about something that happened during their day, but a room full of students along the same age. It may get crazy at times, but that's expected. I just want them to leave learning or improving on something. I want to do what my teachers have taught me. It may not seem like a big deal but at the end of the day, to me it does.

I have big goals and dreams, some that will not become a reality, but I also know it takes time to get there. Eventually there will be a day that I will have to leave a place and people that I have come to know so well. Right now though, I am still here to learn and it is the little things I have gained so far through dance that matter to me the most.

Thank You