As a competitive dancer, my dance studio, Jazz Unlimited Studio of Dance Arts, is why home away from home. Everyone there has surpassed friendship and has become my family. While ending my junior year, I cannot fathom how I will be graduating from the place that I grew up in. During my many years of dance, I have learned to hit a triple pirouette and how to make leaps across the floor look effortless. Quickly approaching my senior year, I know that the lessons I have learned from dance go far beyond the lessons I apply in the studio. I have learned lessons that influence my everyday life, and will continue to help me become a young adult. Dancing has molded me into the young woman I am today and has aided my growth more than I had realized. The most valuable lessons that will help me succeed in life are those that I am taking out of the studio, the lessons that do not involve pointing my toes.

The demands that come with being a dancer are like those of any sport. It is not uncommon to be at my studio for five hours at a time and the majority of the days of the week. Choosing to be part of the team I am on is the biggest commitment I currently have. More than once I had to choose dance over hanging out with friends or attending a school event. I have made many sacrifices for doing what I love, and dance has taught me the important of sticking to a commitment I made. Since I started dancing, I even have been more committed to activities outside or the studio, too. Dance has taught me dedication and discipline- values that will surely help me with future jobs and rigorous school work in college.

One of my most inspirational dance teachers explained something to my team one day that was really stuck with me for a while. She explained that, as teenage girls with unlimited access to the internet, it is very easy to be brainwashed by the photo shopped images of models seen on every website. She said that it was very easy to feel insecure and unhappy with your body due to these unrealistic standards. As dancers, we are presented in front of walls covered in mirrors, and are constantly looking at our reflection. It is easy to concentrate on every little imperfection that is portrayed back at you. My teacher told us not to look at our bodies as what they look like, but by what they can do. As a dancer, my body is my tool. My body is my instrument. My body is what I used to create the art that I make on stage. The abilities my body is capable of perusing physically is nothing to be ashamed of, and my teacher taught me that. She has shown me a new perspective that has shown me the importance of self confidence and self respect in and out of the studio.

Knowing me personally, one would know that I am a very independent individual, which I can truly say came from dancing. Dance gives one the opportunity and power to express oneself through movement. You dance what you feel; the movements just flow out of you like you have no control. Expressing myself at dance has taught me to express myself in my everyday life. It has shown me that value of being your own person and has taught me to never be ashamed of who I truly am.

I see the girls I dance with as my sisters. The group of women I see for hours a week are the greatest support system I have, in and out of the studio, and some I consider my best friends. Dance friends are not your typical school friends; they surpass that role by far. Being able to share the same passion, dance, with people you love is like no other feeling, and surely part of the reason as to why we form such a close knit family. We share the same struggles and hardships along with the same joys and successes, and that brings us even closer. Dance has not only brought me together with great friends I will defiantly keep in contact with for the rest of my life, dance showed me the importance of having the right people around you. Dance has shown me the emotional and mental benefits of surrounding yourself with positive, supportive, and loving people. Having these girls by my side allows me to strive, flourish, and grow in every way. Any problem I am faced with is always solved and overcame with the help of my girls. I truly would not be where I am today without the love and support of all of them.

Finally, dance has taught me the importance and value of taking risks. Not every dance move or trick comes naturally, not even to the best dancers. When trying a new jump, it is very common to find yourself on the floor. In the beginning of my dance career, I caught myself holding back a lot, whether it was physically holding back while dancing, or not voicing my opinion or personal needs. Facing the fear of falling flat on my butt, I have been able to strive and grow like never before. The feeling of accomplishment that is felt when a difficult move you have been working on for months is finally performed perfectly is like no other feeling. It is uplifting and truly makes you feel like you can take on any obstacle. Taking a risk, not matter what the context, is always terrifying; however, the successful outcome that comes after is worth any fear that may be holding you back.

Dance has down to be so much more than a sport that I practice for multiple hours a week. Dance has grown into so much more than a class teaching me how to point my toes. Dance has forced me to reach inside myself and express every emotion through my movements. Dance has become the prominent force that has sculpted me into the young woman I am today, on and off the stage.