Growing up as a young kid, I did
the typical thing a girl would do…I danced.
I danced ballet, tap and jazz from kindergarten through 3
rd
grade. This type of dancing, never “wowed”
me, however. I never felt a sense of
pride from this form of dance, not even when I was a competition dancer. In my elementary school, however, there was a
dance program not typically thought of…Irish Step Dancing. This program always intrigued me, but I never
wanted to ask my parents to do it because my brother and I were involved in
other things and I wasn’t even Irish.
However, when 4th grade rolled around I asked if I could join
the program and was thankfully given the OK by my parents.
The following are a few things I gained from being an Irish Dancer:
1. Work Ethic
Entering the Irish Step world as an older dancer proved its challenges. I was behind my age level so I had to work that much harder to catch up. This is where my drive and passion truly shined through. Within the first year, I achieved my hard shoes, which would normally take a person three or more years to earn and I was dancing in dances that spanned three age groups. I was far from the best, but happy with where I was.
2. Confidence
Confidence is something one needed to have as an Irish Dancer. You needed to prove to the audience that you were strong. Shoulders out, feet pointed, ankles one behind another. Being told to appear this way went beyond the stage for me. I take this lesson of confidence into the real world. When I have to give a presentation or even take a test, I envision myself as I were as an Irish Step Dancer.
3. Escape
Let’s face it…life is crazy and life can get hectic. We all need something to let out frustration and anger. Dance was this outlet for me. When things weren’t going the way I hoped in a certain situation, I would dance that much harder. When I was dancing, it seemed almost as if nothing else in the world mattered or existed…it was just me, dancing shoes, and a wood floor. It is good to live in and be well aware of realities around us, but we all need to escape at some point or another…even if it is just for three minutes.
