DANCE like no one is watching

I am not a the "typical" girl who started dancing when I was 3. I didn't start dancing until I was in high school, and it was something I just happened to start doing. The main reason I wanted to learn how to dance was so I would have a talent for pageants. I was really into pageants at the beginning of high school and saw myself in Miss America one day, but I needed a talent first.

To begin, I took Dance I at my high school as well as beginner dance classes at a studio. From there, my teacher invited me to join our high school's dance company, where I was exposed to awesome choreography. The next year, my studio wanted me to take advanced dance classes and my high school teacher wanted me to take on the role of co-captain of dance company. I was so amazed! In just one year, I was given opportunities girls work their whole lives for. In just one year, I was exposed to incredible situations that made me grow as a dancer....and I grew fast! Just in 2 or 3 years, I was on the same level of girls my age who had been working to get to that level since they were 3 years old.

Looking back, I grew so much as a dancer because I was inspired by its creativity. You can create any dance you want, use any movement you want and it'll make sense because you created it. Its a way to express your emotions. The music inspires me too. When I hear a song, I can feel the beats and rhythm run through my body, which lets the creative juices flow. If the song inspires me, I can choreograph to it, and I usually will pick a song that conveys how I am feeling to choreograph to. I would dance/choreograph like no one was watching. When you enjoy something so much or are moved by it, it is easy to excel in. This is how dance was for me...I was so eager to express myself, I learned everything about technique, so I could become a stronger dancer. Dance had become so much more than something I had to learn to do for a pageant. It was never a chore, but rather a joy.

My favorite type of dance is contemporary because these dances really can show an audience the issue you're trying to portray. It isn't restricted like ballet is. It's just free-flowing and for me, free-flowing movement increases my creativity. Creativity comes when you least expect it and it isn't retrictive, so why should dance be limited?

I took a couple years off from dance, but I am trying to get back into it. I still feel inspired when I hear a song. Or when times get tough, I just want to dance and let all my frustrations. I hope dance will remain that way for me and that I will always dance like no one is watching.