EDU 414 Free Write: Dance

I am a dancer. I have always been a dancer for as long as i can remember. When looking back at my life in retrospect i cannot remember a time without dance. My first memories are going to pick out ballet shoes and tap shoes and going to dance class. I started dancing when i was 4-my parents saw me dancing around the house and didn't know where i picked up acting like a ballerina but thought it was time to sign me up for dance classes. I started at age 4 taking ballet and tap classes for 2 hours a week. Wednesday nights were dance night and i looked forward to wednesdays all week because i knew it meant dance day!    As i got older every year my parents would sign me up again for dance classes-each year adding a new dance. I took Ballet, Tap, and Jazz from the age of 5 to the age of 10 when my dance teacher put me on the competition team and i took Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Lyric, Modern, and Hip-hop. I danced 15 hours a week-3 hours a day 5 days a week and depending on when competitions were that season-i'd have practices on saturdays and sundays or be away at competitions all weekend. 

For a few years i took pointe as well but never competed in modern or pointe. When i got to high school i still danced, everyday. I would go to school all day and after school have club meetings, then i'd run off to track and field practice and go straight to dance rehearsals at night, go home, do homework, eat dinner. My days were busy and full of involvement! My parents would always tell me that maybe i should stop dancing because it took up so much of my time-but i got good grades in school and enjoyed being involved and really active! When i graduated high school i thought that would be the end of dance for me, but i got to college and after that many years of continuous dancing i couldn't just not dance. Out of all the styles of dance i've done Tap dancing is hands down my favorite. I decided to keep dancing Tap and hip hop at my studio once a week just to keep active and try and have a form of stress relief in my life still. 

I'm 23 and i still Dance, i help teach kids dance classes and take adult tap classes with my dance studios alum on tuesday nights. Dance has made me who i am. Dance has taught me so much since i was 4 and the past 18 years wouldn't have been the same without it. I live, breathe, talk, and obsess over dance still. I could have far worse habits and i remind my parents of this. I love to dance, i love everything about it. Dance taught me discipline, hard work, team work, perseverance, commitment, dedication, and has brought me nothing but happiness. I've been injured so much in the past mostly from running injuries and dance injuries but i wouldn't trade it for anything and i would take all the injuries all over again if it means i can dance. 

Tap dancing is something that i think you can't just decide one day you're going to pick it up and start tap dancing. Tap dancing is something that usually you have to start learning at a younger age to gain the basic skills. I think this is what i like about it! i also love the way that you can make music while you dance. Making sound and an expression of art i just adore. 

I don't have time for TV much these days with everything else going on in my busy life but my favorite TV show is "So You Think You Can Dance?"  here is a youtube clip from So you think you can dance-a tap dance clip!! one of my favorites!!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ul1RJ0gvdLg&feature=related