When I'm asked the question, "Why do I dance?" I often respond with a sarcastic look because: shouldn't it be obvious? But the more deeply I thought about it, I asked myself why do I truly love dance? The amount of answers I could give has no limits because every time I walk out onstage, I find another reason to lose myself to the music and just be. Be on stage. Be in the moment. Be myself. Be in love with dance.
"When I dance, I forget everything else and just feel completely happy. " -Katherine Jenkins.
The world is full of chaos. It’s full of horror, fear and the unknown. Life can be completely overwhelming and ultimately, it’s scary. But dancing makes you forget everything. Dancing makes you forget about the tragedies and triumphs of life and just lets you be in the moment feeling nothing but purse happiness and bliss.
"I believe that dance communicates man's deepest, highest and most truly spiritual thoughts and emotions far better than words, spoken or written." -Ted Shawn
When I dance, my body speaks words that I could never say. It speaks for me when I cannot put my thoughts into words. It is the biggest form of expression that allows you to scream, cry, laugh, and jump for joy without actually saying a single word. My body forms words that I wish I knew how to say but cannot.
"Dancing is like riding a bike. " -Jamie Bell
It’s something you can never forget. Of course, practice makes perfect but if you love to dance and want to do, just do it. Once you try it, you’ll never forget it. Even after years of pushing dance aside for academics, I always find myself back on the studio floor more passionate than I was the time before. Dancing is not only a passion but it’s a skill, something you can master. Every improvement makes you want to continue to learn more and better yourself. Dancing is something in my life that I will never forget how to do.
"To touch, to move, to inspire. This is the true gift of dance." - Aubrey Lynch
I wish to inspire people in this world but because I will never win a Nobel Peace Prize or an Academy award, I hope this is enough. Even if it is just one little girl out in the audience watching me on stage; it only takes that one. I have found myself watching other dancers and feeling so in awe and inspired that I immediately want to get onstage alongside them. I hope one day, I can be that girl who inspires others to get on stage and move.
"Nobody cares if you can't dance well. Just get up and dance." - Dave Barry
It’s freeing. It does not matter your skill level or how many difficult tricks one can do. It is about movement. It is about passion. It is about hard work and dedication. It is about having fun. It is about doing what you love. It is about being confident. It is about doing what you love because you love it not because you’re the best at it.
You need to dance because you love dance. Dance because you want to. Dance because you’re inspired. Dance because it’s the only thing that you know.
So in the end, it comes down to: I dance because I am in love with dance. I dance because it is a part of me. I dance because I was born to inspire, create and be passionate about something that’s intangible in life. I was born to dance. I live to dance.