Words can only portray so much emotion when they are written down on paper. The true meaning behind phrases of words, which have been strung together so eloquently, is often lost on a reader whose mind cannot fathom the imagery that these words were meant to depict. Written words can become stagnant and two dimensional, unable to portray the movement and depth of the emotion that is being described. As a consequence, self-expression is stifled.

In the words of Agnes De Mille, “The truest expression of a people is in its dance and in its music. Bodies never lie.” From a young age, I was exposed to the beauty of the arts. Since kindergarten, I have been enrolled in every type of dance class, from ballet and pointe to tap and jazz to modern and hip hop. As a dancer, I become my own paintbrush and I control the message I want to send to others through my art. Dancing allows me to reveal the thoughts that I can’t put into words and translate my feelings into movements that will captivate others. Dancing teaches you to take criticisms with grace and to smile through your own mistakes. Dancing has molded me into a more intuitive and receptive person, who can better understand other people and what they are feeling.

Without dance as a form of expression, I fear I would be less fulfilled with life. Every experience I go through carries its own rhythm and its own beat. Thoughts and feelings build up inside of me, some good and some bad, and if they aren’t communicated, they eat away at my happiness and my ability to find achievement in my own actions. But when I dance, I feel exhilarated. I feel freedom. I feel my worries wash away and my mind falls into synchronization with my heart. I feel like I can step outside of my troubles and the obstacles I am facing and put my life into focus. Dancing in itself is beauty, the type of beauty that inspires people to carry on.

I hope to pursue a career in visual journalism and communications. I believe in the power of words and the effects they can have on people’s opinions. But I also believe in the influence that movement and rhythm have over people’s souls. The way dancers in "The Nutcracker" tell the story of Christmas without uttering a word has always mesmerized me. The sharp accents and staccatos of tappers like Savion Glover and Celtic dancers alike is reminiscent of the annunciations of letters and punctuations in speech. I personally feel that words and visual movement were meant to work together to portray ideas to the public. When I report on culture and news, I hope to be able to express both the factual and human side of events. To hear words is to listen to the mind rationalizing, and to experience movement is to hear the soul speaking. When combined, words and movement have the ability to ignite passion.