Dance is and will always be important in my life. Even though I may not still be practicing it every day or dancing on a competitive team, there is still a special place for it in my heart. I danced for fifteen years growing up and was sad to leave it in my college career. Although, I will never forget everything those countless hours in the studio and on the stage taught me.

1. Dance taught me to be strong.

Not only did dance help me get stronger physically, it helped me get stronger mentally. Nothing can clear your mind and soul like going into the studio and completely losing yourself to the music. Therapeutic rhythms flowing through your body can help ease your mind of all the negativity in the world and make it a little more beautiful, the way God intended it to be.

2. Dance taught me to be independent.

Some of us have had to go through tryouts as individuals. This taught me how to stand out by myself and show the judges what I could do and what set me apart from all of the other dancers. This was your chance to be independent without anyone's help to stand out and show them something new.

3. Dance taught me how to deal with failure.

Dance taught me how to deal with failure in many different ways. When you didn't get the part you tried out for, you picked yourself up and rocked the part you were given. No matter how many times you practiced that pirouette and nailed it, you fell on the stage at competition. After that, you learned how to go on and tell yourself that you can do it and to persevere, have patience, and work harder next time.

4. Dance taught me how to be a teammate/friend.

To succeed as a team you have to work as a team. I have bever been on a more close-knit team then my dance team. They were more like my family than they were teammates. I also met two life long friends who I danced with for several years and we are still best friends to this day.

5. Dance taught me how to love myself.

It is hard in a world of supermodels and Kardashian's for girls to see themselves as beautiful. What the media says is beautiful, often times we do not see it in ourselves. Dance made me feel beautiful and brought out a whole new confidence in me that made me love myself for who I am, what I do, and what I stand for. Not how I looked, if I was skinny or pretty enough. I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

Never stop dancing.