Personal Narrative: What I Learned In Dance

Dance is not only a form of art or a physical activity, but a means of expressing yourself. Through dance, I gained confidence, courage, patience, and other valuable qualities, now all fused into my identity. I have danced for the past 10 years, consistently training every week, persevering through the

I have been dancing since the age of two. When asked about my career aspirations, there is no hesitation before saying “I want to be a dancer.” Being a dancer means putting all other distractions aside, and focusing on my craft. Currently, I dedicate over forty hours a week to dance, which is a schedule that requires sacrifice. When I am dancing, the rest of the world fades away, slipping out of my mind with relaxed importance. For that moment in time, I am completely free, wholly focused on my goals, letting me know dance is what I’m meant to do. With this realization comes a responsibility to myself and the work I have put into improving my craft thus far, and I know I must seek out the best opportunities for growth and continued learning.

Dance is one of the major things that defines my identity and it is an interest that had become so meaningful, that without it my application would be incomplete. This has been able to shape me throughout the years, from discipline and maturity all the way yo leadership and teamwork. I find dance as an art work, that it is easy to make mistakes and fall, you just have to learn from those mistakes and get up twice as strong as from where you started. Dance is to look above and beyond and just let everything fall into place without hesitation.

Dance demands the same physical skills that are required in other sports. Flexibility, strength, and endurance are key characteristics that most dancers need to posses. As with other “athletes,” most dancers are not born with these abilities but must establish them through practice and repetitive training. Similar to traditional sports practices, dance rehearsals are extensive and require diligence, dedication, and patience from the dancers as they will have to repeat exercises and stretches to perfect their technique and stay on

I had just moved to Washington state and I auditioned for the local dance studio’s competition team for fun. I had no idea how talented they were. And I was just an untrained recreational dancer…Not surprisingly, I didn’t earn a coveted spot on the team it the first time I auditioned. That didn’t stop me from training seriously and auditioning for the team each year until I made it. And here I stand, now starting on my sixth year on the team and as one of the last people from my original team who decided not to quit when they started high school. Dance isn’t just twirling around in pretty pink tutus. What the general population doesn’t picture when they think of dance is the tremendous amount of strenuous work and the blood and sweat and tears that goes into every performance and competition. Certain dancers can’t handle it and quit when they realize they don’t have the passion. My passion keeps me living and breathing and most importantly, dancing, when times get

I stood staring at my mom with a blank expression as she applied foundation on my face followed by powder and blush and a number of other various cosmetics that I had lost count of. Makeup, hair, costume, all of those were on the back of my mind as the thought of performing in front of three hundred people clouded my thoughts. All around me were muffled sounds of other dancers frantically running around trying to get ready in time, mothers yelling at their daughter's, music blaring from various speakers, doors opening and closing, metal hitting the tile floors as tappers practiced down the hall, but all I could hear was the thundering sound of my heart beat in my chest. My body started quivering slightly. The nerves were setting in. I don’t

It takes both an athlete and an artist to be able to dance. Dance requires you to have muscular strength, flexibility, physical and emotional endurance. People usually question why dancers love what they do when there is a whopping 80% of professional dancers that get injured every year. The answer is simple though, what keeps them going though is the constant love and encouragement from friends and family.

One of the greatest ah-ha moments of this class was when I put into words the correlation between a dancer mentored by their coach and a student working beside an effective teacher. Teaching is a work of art; a dance that is carefully choreographed between teacher and student. Both dancers are aware of the dance they want to perform, yet in order to truly experience the depth and magnitude of the dance, they must break down the steps into perfectly timed moves. The dancers strive to execute their moves with precision in order to achieve their highest personal best. Those involved understand that practice and rehearsal are the tools to mastering the complex parts; making them stronger and prepared for more complicated dances in the

As a member of a dance, I had to understand the importance of teamwork. Seeing there was many people in dance, so there had to be a cooperative effort to achieve a common goal. It became quite challenging seeing people learn at different paces and I am a slow learner. Only I had to learn to respect the value of teamwork and my fellow dance numbers. Each and every class we all worked for a same goal, we became dedicated and devoted. Our teacher would help us develop our abilities with leadership. As leadership is necessary to ensure that a team's accomplishments are not misguided but achieved. I once believed a dancer is someone who is just doing weird movements, but is actually someone who is admired. The balance between teamwork itself is admired. It all pays off when we dance on stage.

I learned technique in the lower levels, strengthening my body and preparing for advanced work. I found release and joy in my classes, working until I built up a sweat, and stretching each night as my muscles began to ache. Ballet was intense, a workout to become stronger, yet it was also a freeing expression of myself. I learned to leap across the floor with such grace that seemed to contrast the effort behind each move.

This will be the only thing that will always be the same. Dance is my passion, and the one thing I will always move my feet for. It helps me be the best I can be and no one can tell me

Before I began formal training in classical dance I was performing vocalist and actor. As a performing artist, I had already gained a deep appreciation for dance, leading me to take a ballet class. When I first began, ballet was just an extension of my performing resume, something I did only to so I would be a more castable actor. Nevertheless, I soon after I began dancing it became my focus and I began the normal daily training schedule of Pre-Professional student. Throughout my career, it was the art of dance that inspired me. Although important, my technique was just a tool and my body was just the canvas.

Dance has always been a part of my life, whether it was from the first day my mom taught me salsa in the family room to now performing in front of huge crowds around my community. Whether its ballroom, west coast, or country, I have been able to express myself in ways that I never thought possible. Through my commitment and perseverance I strive to become a better and more knowledgeable dancer every day. I continue to learn new things and search for opportunities to widen my horizons and interact with the dance community. My passion grows with me as I grow as a dancer and I hope to be able to share that passion with others for the rest of my life.

“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.

On the surface, a dance class, but dig a little deeper and what do we see? Next, we may see concentration. The concentration that goes into a dance class to remember the combinations in tremendous. They are often said once, and expected to be remembered. Upon performance, you are not only to do what was verbalized, but reverse it, and do it on the other foot as well. Everything in ballet has to be even. Focus then shifts from the combination’s steps to the technique to perfect the steps they are already remembering. Underneath the layer of concentration and determination, you may begin to see frustration or pain. A typical company level ballet class requires perfection, and practically perfect attendance. Dancers are taught to persevere through the pain. I can tell you from experience, that sometimes it means finishing a performance or rehearsal, even with a broken foot, and dancing with broken ribs. While dance may be graceful on the outside, it is tedious, time consuming, and sometimes