I have been dancing for 13 years and throughout those years dance has been a significant part of my life. I have danced at studios and on the SBU dance team. Dancing is important to me and even though it consumed my life at some points it is all worth it. I have gained so many positive and negative experiences, but they have shaped my life so that I am the person I am today.
My love for dance started when I was young. When I was very little my parents had photos taken of me and I was pretending to dance. I would also dance in the living room of my house, so my mom decided to sign me up for dance lessons. She also wanted me to have a way to express my creativity in a way that was both active and would help me to meet other kids my age.
The first studio I danced at was a competitive studio and it was not the fit for me. My parents found a new studio for me to take lessons at. This studio would quickly become my second home. I made many friends there and I’m so glad I did. It was nice to have friends who I didn’t go to school with, especially at an early age. Sadly, I’m not good friends with these people anymore, but I still follow them on social media.
Dancing also made me the person I am today. It taught me to overcome challenges. For example, having knee pain from patellofemoral pain syndrome which is when the cartilage under the kneecap is damaged due to overuse. I also learned how to work with people in groups. We would be tasked with working in groups to choreograph short dances. I also learned that dance is not as pretty and perfect behind the scenes. Dancing can be incredibly stressful and there are many opportunities to get injured which I experienced a lot.
After many years of dancing, I decided to take a break starting in high school. I cheered throughout high school and enjoyed doing the dancing part of cheer. Then when I was applying to St. Bonaventure, I was looking at the different club options that they had. I saw that they had both a dance team and a cheer team. I decided that I was going to join the dance team and I’m so glad that I did.
The SBU Dance Team is made up of so many amazing people and I’m so glad that I joined. I honestly don’t know if I would have survived my first year if I wasn’t on the team. I made so many friends by being on the team. It also helps to keep me in shape and to express my creativity.
Dance is such a big part of my life and I want to thank my mom for signing me up when I was young.