I remember choreographing my first piece ever, a mini tap routine to "One Bad Apple". I don't remember how hard or easy it was to choreograph. I don't remember how high the number placed at competitions. I remember the day that my dancer's had the biggest smiles on their faces because everything began to click. I remember the joy and excitement that had them so happy and giggly. That's why I teach dance. I teach dance to see the accomplishments my dancers make every time they're in the studio. I crave to see their passion, their hard work pay off, and their strides.

Not every dance teacher is an Abby Lee Miller. I don't teach dance to get the highest score at competitions. I teach to educate, I teach to create, and I teach to inspire. I teach for every "Thank You Miss Katie". Every hug. Every silly story my students tell me because they are excited to talk to me. I am not at the dance studio every day to create super stars. I am there to create pieces to entertain an audience. I am there to teach life lessons. I am there to motivate my students to strive for excellence, inside and outside of the studio.

Dance is so much more than having the perfect feet or longest legs. It's not all about who can turn the best or who can leap the highest. The director of the studio I teach at always tells our students that they are a reflection of the studio. All of the life lessons that are taught to our dancers can be used in the real world. Things like using manners, body language, looking someone in the eyes when they talk to you, and just all around being an exceptional human being.

I teach dance to guide children in the right direction. I teach to be an influential adult in my students' lives. I teach for consistency for my dancers. I teach because it has been a shining light when my life became so dark. I choreograph to tell a story, not to win the extreme-platinum-double-decker-superior award, or whatever it is. I teach with my whole heart and am excited to keep on teaching for several years to come.