Dance has always been the most effective stress relief for me. I have been a ballet, contemporary, and tap dancer since I was three years old. I danced my way through high school rehearsing 11 hours a week, competing three to four times a year, and performing three concerts a year. No matter how I felt beforehand, I would always come out of class fully exercised and relieved of my stress from the day. Dance has been my biggest motivator as it always helps me to refocus or calm down. I have an intense connection to music, such that I feel it throughout my body. Dancing helps me to connect to how I am feeling and release the stress I’m holding.
Dance every week gives me something to look forward too. I am able to motivate myself with the chance to calm my body and recenter myself. If I am ever having trouble focusing or am getting overly emotional or angry I know I need to go to dance. After a dance class I am generally able to get more done in a more focused manner. Dance has helped me to stay in shape and has provided me a creative outlet. I crave choreography as it is something that challenges me and it keeps my mind working. In the past, I have had to limit other things in my life in order to be as dedicated to dance as I was, but I wouldn’t have done it any other way. I missed out on high school events because of classes or shows but, truly, dance gave me another more important family and a love for an activity that I will never lose.
Dance has completely changed my life, such that I can’t live without it. My first quarter away at school, I didn’t have a stable dance class each week, and I was miserable. All I would tell my mom when I talked to her was that I missed dance and I really just wanted to dance again. Despite my mood or how I’m feeling, I always feel significantly better after a dance class. It helps me to feel strong and refocus my body. My mind focuses on the exercises instead of the things I need to get done. It keeps my mind creatively working and engaged.
Dance also gave me a supportive group of friends that helped to motivate me. I could always rely on my dance family to lift me up and be a supportive loving group of people. I loved going to dance because I would always have the best time rehearsing and messing around with my friends. They helped me to feel confident, loved, and a part of something really special. I felt surrounded by people who cared about me and loved dance as much as I did. They were just as dedicated and as grateful for how dance had changed their lives as I was.