Dancers see each other at their best - and at their worst. Your dance classmates see you nail the trick you've been trying to master for a year, see you finally get your splits, see you understand a difficult combination. But, they also see you fall flat on your face and help you stand back up (after a few minutes of laughter, of course). They support you when you're exhausted and still have hours of homework waiting for you at home. They cry with you when you exit the stage at your final recital or competition of your senior year. They'll talk to you for hours about So You Think You Can Dance and Dance Moms. Most importantly, they know what it's like to be a dancer.
It's because of this that dance friends have a special bond. I always talk about my dance friends to my family and my friends at school. It's always, "I miss my dance friends so much!" or, "One time, my dance friend said this!" or, "That's just like my friend from dance!" My dance friends are not only the girls I dance next to, they are my second family.
They make those long nights as a dancer bearable. When it's 9 pm and I'm still at dance, knowing I have three hours of homework still to do, my dance friends let me complain about my workload. They listen to my frustrations about school, and I hear their irritations about their homework and school life.
No matter what, dance friends only want you to succeed. Yes, competition can be present but it only challenges you. It's never toxic competition if you are with your true dance friends. They stand right beside you and cheer you on when you finally accomplish your goals. They push you to be the best dancer you can possibly be.
Dance friends are part of the reason coming home from college is so much fun. I know I'll get to see them and hear all about their adventures at school. I've never gone to school with one of my dance friends. Though this can make it difficult to keep in touch, we are still more than just friends; we are a family.
Not all of us continue to dance after high school. In fact, most dancers quit dance after their last performance in high school. Still, we all have that background and that love for dance. We still have fun laughing at our younger selves dancing, or hearing updates from our friends still in dance. No matter the distance, I know that my dance friends always have my back. I know they will support me in every endeavor throughout my life.