Dance: My Way To Escape

My hair swooshes around me as I turn. The spotlight coats me like the sun as I complete the moves I've practiced hundreds of times. I gaze out into the darkness, hoping I can show the audience the joy that this brings me. I turn, jump, glide. Every new move feeling like a breath of fresh air.

When I finish, the audience cheers. Relief and comfort wash over me. As I walk off the stage, my friends and dance teacher offer me praise, and I thank them back. I already want to be back on stage again.

Dance has always felt like a sanctuary for me. Being on stage feels like some type of euphoria. It has brought be peace during hard times and joy during others. To me, there is nothing like the feeling of performing a solo you've worked tirelessly on or the camaraderie that comes with performing with a group.

When I'm dancing, I don't think about anything else. I can shut my mind off and just move freely to the music. When I get caught up in my head, dancing is a way to release the pent up tension. I mean, you can't really think about anything else when you're focused on what move to do next!

I also love that dance is extremely versatile. There are so many styles at a dancer's disposal. If I am feeling happy or energetic, jazz or hip hop will allow me to express my happiness and work up a sweat. For when I'm feeling frustrated or emotional, I can channel these feelings into a lyrical or contemporary dance.

I always feel blessed when I look back on my dance journey. Most of us were thrown into sports and activities when we were younger. Our parents were eager to introduce us to the things that our world has to offer. My mom casually put me into dance when I was five after talking to another mom about it. Lucky for me, I happened to fall in love with one of the first activities my mom put me in. In fact, I never felt the need to try other things growing up. I always had dance to keep me entertained and bring me peace.

As I grew up, I learned that life inevitably gets harder. I was diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder when I was in fourth grade. My mind felt like it was running constantly, like a machine. The only thing that could seem to flip off the machine's switch was dancing. When I danced, everything went away. I put my body to work. My OCD tendencies came in ebbs and flows throughout middle school and early high school, but dance helped me get through the challenges. It was an outlet.

Dance has also given me a forever family. The love and joy these people bring me is immeasurable. Some of my closest friends are also dancers. Over the years, we have been able to bond over our love for dance. There is nothing more satisfying and rewarding than working as a group, dancing together, and making a piece special. Don't get me wrong, it isn't always rainbows and sunshine. Dancers are perfectionists. It's easy to get annoyed at each other when you're sweaty and tired. But at the end of the day, dancing together is what we live for.

Dance has also taught me numerous lessons. Like anything, dance requires focus and hard work. I have spent many days feeling frustrated: wondering why I can't get a skill, wondering why something doesn't look the way I want it to look. Truth is, nothing is ever perfect. That's what's great about dance. There is no definite thing to judge on. There are no touchdowns or home runs. There are no PRs or finish lines. Sure, proper technique is a thing (Thank you George Balanchine!). But at the end of the day, it all just comes down to me and the music. I don't need anyone else, just myself.

Dance has also taught me how to work with a group. Sometimes you have to quickly adjust for others. I know that working with others will be something I will have to do for the rest of my life.

I am no longer dancing at my dance studio anymore as I am going to college in the fall. That hasn't stopped me from continuing to dance in my dusty basement or pick up classes at another local dance studio. Just yesterday, dance helped me in a way no one else could. I had been feeling anxious all day. I couldn't exactly pin point why. My friend Bella was teaching a dance class, so I decided to go. The moment I entered class, all my feelings seemed to slip away. I felt the floor as I stretched out my body and let go when I was dancing to the music. We danced to the song Sleep On the Floor by the Lumineers. It felt freeing.

In a world like this, it is so important to find something that brings you peace, something you can slip away to when everything seems to be too much. I hope that everyone has something that makes them fell safe; an activity that's constant in our ever changing world. I believe we all deserve that.