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The opinions expressed in this article are the writer’s own and do not reflect the views of Her Campus.
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SBU chapter.

This week I performed in my first dance show.

Yes, you read that right. At the ripe age of 18, I have started dancing.

Let me give you some backstory on why it took so long for me to start:

When I was growing up I played many sports. Soccer when I was a little kid, gymnastics in 3rd grade, volleyball in elementary school, track and field in 5th grade, and basketball for as long as I can remember. My life up until high school was basketball. Whether it was tournaments for travel ball, summer clinics, basketball for school, or just practicing on our backyard court, I lived basketball. 

Now, I have never been the most athletic person and unfortunately it took me until high school to realize that sports just aren’t my thing. As a 13-year-old girl it was heartbreaking to grasp the fact that my athletic career would probably not go very far. It was also very heartbreaking to grasp the fact that it was “too late” to start any new sports or activities if I wanted to master them like the kids who have been dedicated since they were very young. 

I always wanted to try dance. I loved all the different styles and the fact that you could choose what styles appealed to you the most. It seemed much more up my alley than any hard-core sports that I didn’t have a natural gift for. Unfortunately, I was told that I was too old to start dancing then and there would be no point for me to start becoming a dancer at 13 because that’s when many kids are at their prime and they usually don’t dance for much longer. 

I eventually got over it, but I never accepted the fact that I couldn’t be a dancer. I just wanted to dance.

Now, fast forward to a year ago when I found out that my college had a dance team:

I did lots of research (stalking Instagrams and watching Tik Toks) and decided that I was going to join the dance team. It was so exciting but so scary. I was finally getting to participate in the sport I’ve been wanting to do for years but the little voice of anxiety kept telling me that it would never work. All of these other girls have been dancing for years and here I am joining the dance team with not one day of dance experience (if you don’t count Irish dancing for two months when I was three). 

After a full semester of dance has come to an end, I can wholeheartedly say that joining the dance team has been the best decision I’ve made at college. I have felt immensely welcomed by the captains and made a wonderful group of friends from the team. And, to top it all off, I’m actually learning how to dance. No, it’s not always the prettiest but I am gaining some rhythm and having fun along the way. 

So, thank you to the SBU Dance Team for giving me a love for dance and teaching me that it’s never too late to try new things. 

Ella Steinwandel is a new Her Campus chapter member at St. Bonaventure University. Ella is excited to write about self-care, trends, lifestyle, beauty, and friendships! She can't wait to put her passion for writing to use and meet all of the other writers and girls in this chapter! Ella is currently a freshman majoring in marketing with hopes to work in the beauty marketing field after her years at St. Bonaventure. She loves to be involved in everything going on at her school. In addition to Her Campus, Ella is a member of the Power Yoga Club, SBU@SPCA, and the Dance Team. She is also very eager and excited to discover more clubs and organizations on campus! In her free time, you can most likely find Ella journaling, watching a new series on Netflix, listening to all kinds of music, and hanging out with her friends. Her friends and family are the most important to her, as she will eagerly talk about them at any chance she can! Ella loves to travel and explore new places and she loves to be outside and active, discovering new things, especially on the new campus she calls home, St. Bonaventure!