I have been dancing and competing for 16 years. Now at the tender age of 19 I am far too old to compete anymore. So instead, I get to teach and share my love of dance with my students. Teaching dance is probably the most rewarding thing I have done with my life thus far. I absolutely love getting to see the way my students grow up and improve. We share so many moments together, both good and bad, both on the stage and in the classroom and although I love them to pieces, I have a few words I need them to know!

1. I believe in you.

You are entirely capable of doing anything you want to do. You are brilliant and have such an amazing talent. Don't throw it away, or give up on it, because it's too hard. None of the best things come easy. Work for it.

2. I only get mad because I know you can do better.

You know those somewhat rare moments when I throw you out of the room for a few minutes or make you do burpees til you fall over? Yeah, most of you can tell that I'm frustrated, but I want you to know why. I'm frustrated because I see so much potential in you. I am trying to teach you and make you the best possible dancer that I know you can be, but I can't do it alone. I need your attention and I need your focus. You are a beautiful dancer, but you can always improve!

3. Practice Makes Perfect

Repetition isn't fun. In fact, I would say that it is very very boring. But what you suffer through now will pay off when you get on stage and nail that routine. You guys might hate me now for making you practice so much, but you will thank me for it later when you place in the Top 10 or when you guys get your highest score of the season! You don't improve magically while you're sleeping, you improve every time you step foot in the classroom. So when I say "one more time", just know that I'm lying and I am not sorry about it!

4. It is not all about winning.

I mean, yeah sure winning is nice, but you are learning so many life lessons right now and you don't even realize it. You are learning that discipline and hard work pays off, and being lazy doesn't get you the win. You are learning that you need your teammates, and no matter how annoyed you get with them, you can't accomplish anything without them. You are learning dedication, because you know that skipping a practice just because you're tired isn't even something you can think about. All of these things make you not only a better dancer, but a better individual, and I am so proud that I get to watch, and help you grow.

5. I can teach you, but you have to work for it too.

You can attend 105 dance classes during the week but you won't improve unless you give it your 100 percent effort every single moment. I know you guys wonder why I make you do endless plies and tendues, because you always ask me to do harder things, but if you can't perform these two basic moves with strength and control how can you move on to something harder? It seems boring. It seems repetitive, and childish, but it's something that you think is so far below your level that you don't put any work into it. Nothing is too beginner for you. Everything that I teach you has a purpose and will make you into a better dancer. Even if you don't think there is a point, give it your best shot.

6. You won't do everything perfect the first time you do it.

If dance were easy anyone could do it, right?? Go ahead and ask one of your non-dance friends to do a chaine jete, I bet they will fail miserably and you'll have a good laugh trying to teach them! Dancing is really hard, and not everything is going to come easy for you, but that doesn't mean you just give up. If you can't do it the first or the second time, you get back up and keep trying until you can. I promise at some point it'll happen.

7. Learn from your mistakes.

So you got up onstage and completely botched a section of choreography, or you were doing turns in center floor and fell completely on your butt. Both these things are embarrassing, but what are you going to do about it? Are you going to go home from the competition and never give it a second thought, or are you going to rehearse it in your head over and over so that you never forget that section again? Are you going to get up off the floor and laugh with your friends about it and goof off and keep falling over, or are you going to think in your head and figure out what made you fall and what you can do next time to keep you up on your leg? There is always a lesson to be learned and something you can do to improve yourself.

8. My critiques are not meant to put you down.

I'm not trying to be mean to you when I tell you something you did wrong. I'm telling you so that you know and can fix it. If nobody ever points it out to you, you will most likely keep doing it the wrong way your entire life. So when I tell you something to work on don't get sassy with me! Do it again, fix it, perfect it, and then work on the next thing I tell you.

9. "I can't" shouldn't be a part of your vocabulary.

"Ms. Alexus I can't do it." "Ms. Alexus this is too hard." "Ms. Alexus can I please just do something else?" These are called excuses, have you ever heard them? I hear them every day! You guys are pretty awesome little dancers, but at the first sign of something hard you tell me you can't do it after trying it like two times. NOBODY CAN DO ANYTHING PERFECTLY AFTER PRACTICING IT TWICE! I promise you nobody. There will always be something to fix, so just go on and take the "I can't" out of your vocabulary, because at some point you will be able to do it. Maybe not at this exact moment, but after you work at it for a little bit, I know you have the ability to do whatever I have asked you.

10. I really love you guys.

I probably spend more time with you than I spend with my own family. I yell at you to work harder, straighten your knees, point you toes, and keep a smile on your face, but I wouldn't spend my time doing anything else. You are talented, capable, smart, and so so beautiful (and handsome for my boys). I promise you, when you are on stage there is not a person more proud in that auditorium than me, except for maybe your parents, but I will allow that. I love you, and I want you to succeed at everything you do, and I will always be there whenever you need help.

And my final words of advice are,