I Am Shanna Woods, A Dancer, Mother, Life And College

From kindergarten until high school, I was a member of the Jean Wolfmeyer School of Dance. Up to 5 days per week, I would be at the dance studio taking classes, rehearsing for shows, and helping out in the less advanced classes. Regardless of skill level, Jean never hesitated to speak the brutally honest truth about students’ performances and she never settled for anything less than perfection. Jean would often preach that she is only the instruction manual and she cannot make us good dancers, we had to do that for ourselves. However, it was not her critique or teaching alone that motivated dancers to perform well, it was her relentless work ethic and commitment to her studio. As a 70 year-old women, Jean held classes as much as 7 days per

As a youth, I engaged in many forms of dance expression. I studied tap, jazz, and ballet for fifteen years. During these formative years, I choose to forgo many youth experiences so that I could participate in advance dance programs. The hard work paid off when I received a college scholarship to a performing arts

Patricia Scott Hobbs gives a professional, yet personable insight into the duties and lifestyle of a choreographer. Throughout the question and answer segments, Hobbs is asked a series of questions that provide viewers with a “backstage” view of all different aspects and demands of the job. Specifically, viewers are taught career beginnings, keys to success, education requirements, industry needs/goals and advice for young aspiring artists. The knowledge provided from Hobbs is bountiful with information any young artist with similar goals (like myself) would require. It is evident that Hobbs has brought nothing but truth to the interview as she also helps viewers comprehend the obstacles artists face throughout their careers. Although all segments within the interview disclose Hobbs expertise of joining the artistry

Dancing has been my passion since the age of three. Wake up, go to school, go to dance, go to sleep. My life was a routine of the same day playing over and over again, and I loved it. My senior year of high school I was accepted into the Commercial Dance program at Relativity School. I felt my dreams become a reality of the perfect future I had always worked towards.

As far back as I can remember I've always gone to professional dance performances and taken a variety of dance and fitness classes such as aerial silks, trapeze, tap, break dancing, ballet, yoga, contemporary, hip hop, afro jazz, and many more styles of dance and movement. In seventh grade I went to a master class for the Bad Boys of Dance and then saw their show. Their creativity and skill made a big impression on me and I fell in love with dance and movement. Learning how to express feelings and emotions through your body. Having been apart of the KPAC, Prince Dance, for almost seven years has really opened doors for me. There have been numerous master classes with established professionals. I have been involved in private dance parties and performances held as fundraisers for both Prince Dance and the

Growing up was never easy for me, but I did not let that stop me from pursuing my ballet career. I didn’t grow up doing ballet, and taking my first ballet class at the Boys and Girls Club at age 13 gave me a setback compared to others who may have been dancing since they were 3. My teacher put me into many positions,

“What are you even doing here? I have never seen such flawed technique in all my years as a choreographer.” The words echoed throughout the medical college auditorium. Impelled by the admonishment in front of my peers, I persevered in my endeavor to improve upon my dancing prowess and by the final year of medical school was leading the college dance team. The above mentioned undertaking further spawned an interest for the discipline of Latin Ballroom which lead to participation at the national level. The unwavering focus and persistence even in the face of unfavorable odds is more broadly reflective of my approach towards learning, both academic and extracurricular. This has been instrumental in achieving stellar academic outcomes including being ranked nationally in the top 0.0004 percent in the premedical test and the top 0.6 percent in the common aptitude test for management training.

Being committed to competitive dance for 15 years has immensely impacted my life, as I have not only progressed technically and performance-wise, but I have been given numerous opportunities for self growth and development. Dancing has shaped me into a well-rounded, confident individual who is able to prioritize responsibilities, cooperate and collaborate with others, and exhibit strong leadership skills. Involvement in any extra curricular can aid one in developing a true passion, and through dance, I have been fortunate to find my passion.

Anyone who has heard of “Dance Moms,” would look at someone who says, “I’ve grown up in a dance studio," with horror. I’m here to prove that sentiment wrong. When I was eight, I enrolled in my first dance class at Buffa’s Dance Studio. Nine years later, the studio director offered me a job. This opportunity soon became much more than a typical high school part time job. I worked side by side with the studio owner; each year registering 500+ dancers for their annual classes, order thousands of costumes and producing six recitals, complete with lighting, sound, and special effects. Although not realizing it at the time, she had offered me much more than a job. It was there I would spend my summer days and nights, working with and learning

“Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great because of their passion.” This quote by Martha Graham, an American modern dancer and choreographer, is one of my favorite quotes about dancing. Blissfully gliding across the stage, leaping through the air, and moving with such fierceness that you can actually feel the music reverberating throughout your body are all things that dancers feel on a daily basis. I can tell you firsthand that these are some of the best feelings in the world. I’ve been dancing for about eight years now, while I am currently taking 5 classes, with a total of 4.25 hours each week, spread over 4 days. I take one hour of each ballet, jazz, and performance, 45 minutes of tap, and ½ hour of conditioning.

I first emerged into my dance career and training at age of 13. What started as an hobby immediately turned into a passion of mines unexpectedly and from that point I desperately wanted to continue my passion of dance. I first trained in hip-hop, contemporary, ballet, West-African and improvisation. All together my dance director and former Urban Bush Women Valerie Winborne- Anderson combined all these styles together forming the dance fusion company V2W. In the 8 years of training with V2W I developed a deep connection in dance my dancing. This experience shifted my original perceptions of dance and I must say that this experience helped with foundation and the development in my pedagogy and teaching philosophy.

As I grew, my drive for ballet pushed me off to explore other places and unfamiliar forms of dance education. I spent three summers in New York, beginning when I was twelve, where I stayed in an apartment in Greenwich Village along with other dancers my age. There, I studied under the instruction of the Joffrey Ballet School in classes taught by teachers from all over the world.

At Xavier College Preparatory, the dance department has given their dancers many opportunities to be a leader and to thrive as they study the in-depth foundations of dance. In the beginning of my senior year, I was elected the Vice President of the dance department. I also took on the challenge and played a major role in our Christmas Pageant. Which consisted of extra rehearsals to perfect a solo and duo in the production. I also had the most amazing opportunity and experience to work with a dance legend, Anne Hutchinson, in the NDEO conference in Phoenix this past October. Anne taught me classical ballet phrases and I performed them in front of other teacher at the conference. I will never forget this wonderful experience; it made me step

Whether rooted deeply through generations of a family or formed through an experience, passions and fascinations are what drives us, humans, to be who we truly are. At this point in my life, I do not want to reach comfort or perfection, but rather feel composed and confident in what I chose to merge my ballet skills with. When I dance, I escape reality and feel a pure exhilaration.This sensation shapes my curiosity and interest in the human anatomy. From the elements that make it up to ways in which people individually move their bodies, the human body is absolutely fascinating. Specifically, I am passionate about teaching ballet to younger students. By introducing ballet to kids early on, they will experience the same joy almost all dancers feel for a longer period of time. When I’m dancing I’m challenging your mind, releasing endorphins, and working hard. I am also eager to own my own business linked with teaching that will provide people with affordable dance equipment, and even more crucial, advice on what suits each person's personal needs. I know as I grow old my body will not be as capable as it once was, but I’m dedicated to spreading my appreciation of ballet to others. Overall, my passion for ballet and how I can utilize it to positively impact society as an entrepreneur has developed through the inspiration of my grandparents, the creativity of my former dance teachers, and my interest in the human bodies relation to ballet.

As a first year member of the Dixie State University Dance Company, I have observed and learned many different skill sets. I have had the opportunity to work with quite a few individual choreographers and dancers throughout the semester and have gained a variety of different skills and outlooks on the various styles we do in Dance Company. I have seen improvement in all the areas, dance technique, artistic expression, personal discipline, and collaborative skills and cannot wait to continue to grow.