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Olivia Johnson

Cassie Plott

ENG-111-5511N-2023FA-Writing And Inquiring

28 August 2023

The Impact of Dance

Competitive dancing has made a huge impact on my life and is something I will always

love. I started dancing at a very young age and it quickly became my whole life. I was instantly

drawn to it. When I was dancing, everything else faded away. I felt free and completely at peace

when I was on stage.

Competitive dancing isn’t just a fun activity, it's much more than that. Yes, I had fun

doing it but it took dedication. I was okay with the dedication because the second I got on stage it

was all worth it. Nothing beats the race of your heart with the excitement and nerves you feel

right before stepping into that lighted space. Knowing you have worked so hard and prepared

every day for months for this moment is an indescribable feeling. I didn’t care if I won or lost,

but I poured my soul into that one performance.

Dance taught me that it's okay not to win all the time. I learned that failure was a part of

dance and that I shouldn’t punish myself because of it. No matter the outcome, I had people at

my studio who were proud of me no matter what and it made me realize even if I lost, people

were still there for me and cheering me on. My dance studio filled with teachers, dancers, and

parents truly became my family. Those moments of success and failure taught me a valuable life
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skill. I learned that we all have good and bad days but that with continued perseverance I could

achieve my goals.

“Competing raises the bar for a dancer. It is a coming off age of sorts for a dancer, and

they come out wiser, balanced, and have a more realistic and serious attitude towards their

passion.” (Mathiot) I added this quote because it puts into words how my life changed from

competing. When I started doing competition dance, I knew I was serious about dance and it was

more than something fun in my free time. I wanted to be an amazing dancer and started working

hard every day. I spent almost every night at dance and often weekends, learning technique and

choreography. I learned that I could balance school, family, and dance all at the same time. All I

cared about was dance. It was my whole life and I was okay with that. I found something that I

really enjoyed and that made me feel good.

When I first started dancing, I thought about quitting and almost did. Dance had become

more of a chore than something I enjoyed. With guidance from my mom, I gave dance one more

try. I am so thankful that I did because I met a dance teacher who made me love dancing more

than I could imagine. She made me look at dancing in a completely different way. It wasn’t just a

chore anymore. I genuinely loved it and loved being at the studio. “We dance to fall in love with

the spirit in all things, to wipe out memory or transform it into moves that nobody else can make

because they didn’t live it.” (Roth) This quote is exactly how I felt when I realized I loved dance.

No one except my dance family understood this feeling and connection to dance. I followed my

dance teacher from studio to studio. That’s how much I loved and trusted her. She pushed me

and made me feel one with the music and that my body was an instrument to express my feelings
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Not only did I bond with my dance family but also with my mom. We were always

together and we were both all about dance. She was there for every competition and practice. I

don’t think she ever missed one. She definitely had tough love when it came to dance, but she

just wanted me to do my best. I think my mom was one of the main reasons I became the dancer

I am. No, she didn’t teach me like a dance teacher but she pushed me and never gave up on me.

She saw potential in me that I never saw in myself. A quote I remember my mom used to love to

say to me was “Though she be but little, she is fierce!” (Shakespeare) She was so proud of the

dancer I was becoming.

I continued dancing until my second year of middle school when I decided to try

cheerleading. With my very busy dance schedule, it didn’t work out for me to do both. So

eventually I had to make a very hard decision. After days of deliberating, I thought it was time to

step out and try something new. Dance had become a chore again. I still loved dance but the

dance teacher that I loved for so long, killed my love for dance just as fast as she started it. It

hurts when a sport you love so much is taken away from you by a coach. The worst part was no

matter what she was still my favorite dance teacher and I didn’t want to dance with anyone else.

So, I decided to quit dancing and try cheerleading. I enjoy cheerleading but miss my dance

family so much. I miss the competitions, seeing my friends every day, praying before we go on

stage, and just letting myself go on stage. I know it sounds clique but dance is really about

family!
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Works Cited

P-Themes. “Why Competitive Dancing Is the Best Decision of a Dancer’s Life.” Beyond the
Barre, beyondthebarreusa.com/blogs/dance-seasons-auditions/why-competitive-dancing-is-the-
best-decision-of-a-dancer-s-life. Accessed 31 Aug. 2023.

“Gabrielle Roth Quote.” A, www.azquotes.com/quote/858399. Accessed 31 Aug. 2023.

“A Quote from A Midsummer Night’s Dream.” Goodreads, Goodreads,

www.goodreads.com/quotes/101870-though-she-be-but-little-she-is-fierce. Accessed 31
Aug. 2023.