Dancing With the Heart

1655 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: Developing spiritual formation

My fluid movements allowed for no mistakes. Hundreds, perhaps thousands, were going to watch my every move. Dance with your heart. I muttered these words under my breath. This was a pivotal time in my life. I had waited for this moment all season. I wanted to execute each move perfectly, to dance my heart out, not only because of the crowd, but because of something greater which linked my heart to this dance.

During my sophomore year at Hotchkiss High School, I joined the Hotchkiss Varsity Dance Team. My dance experience, up to this point, was non-existent, but I was confident in my abilities of becoming a dancer. My love for dance was enough to feel self-assured. Our dance coach, Stephanie Neff, informed us at the beginning of our season that she had lost someone important to breast cancer. As a commemoration to her beloved friend, she wanted to dedicate and choreograph our state dance routine to raise awareness for breast cancer. Little did my teammates and I know, this routine would mean much more to us.

Our dance season progressed quickly before my eyes. The team immediately became close with each other, and we ended up feeling like a family. Before we knew it, we were leaving in the old beat up school van from our small town of Hotchkiss for the big city of Denver.

The Colorado State Dance Championship occurs every December at the Denver Coliseum. Our team arrived with a strong desire to inspire people, not just win a trophy. I was all about this mission until we arrived at the warm-up area and my stomach turned into knots. Then I peeked into the performance arena of the Coliseum, and my mouth fell to the floor. Not only did the vastness of the arena frighten me, but the number of people waiting and watching from floo...

... middle of paper ...

... error. The music ended and my heart was pounding out of my chest. I felt liberated; the dance had ended, and the roaring of the crowd was payment for all of our hard work.

We took third place at State that year. The number meant nothing to me because in my mind we had won first place. We stole the hearts of many and proved that we could influence a crowd of thousands. It is true, “Never doubt that a small group can change the world. Indeed it’s the only thing that ever has.” (Margaret Mead)

I became a true dancer and proved something to myself that day. I had moved flawlessly because I felt the dance in my heart. Dance has stretched my physical abilities, given me tremendous courage, and helped me become a stronger person all around. I now feel I have more of the tools to embrace life’s challenges and better prepared for the next big step in my life - college.

Show More
Related

  • Overview of the Major Topics in Learning about Dance by Nora Ambrosio

    979 Words  | 2 Pages

    ... social dance. Many people in today’s society enjoy social; dancing. Chapter eleven dance concert, properly planning and establishing a dance concert is of the utmost importance. The partnership with the lighting designer usually takes priority over all other factors. One of the most important issues concerning customers has to do with mobility. The dancer must be able to move comfortably in the costume. The task of producing a dance concert is an overwhelming and tiring one. Chapter twelve dance in education and career in dance, many dance educators present the argument that teaching and learning dance as an art form is obviously absent from the American student education. There has always been and always will be people who have a love, desire, and passion to instruct and learn the art of dance, will ensure an important place for dance in higher education.

    Read More

  • The Dance Marathon at the Univeristy of Northern Iowa

    634 Words  | 2 Pages

    While there are many small happenings throughout the year, the main focus is on “The Big Event”. This is a 12-hour long dance marathon where dancers who have spent the year raising money for the cause dance their hearts out, get to meet the children part of the Children’s Miracle network and their families, and have opportunities to continue giving (whether through signing up to donate bone marrow or having hair cut for Locks of Love). During this big party, attendees are not allowed to sit/lay down or have any caffeine. This is to try and replicate a tiny bit of how the kiddos feel on a daily basis, having to go through treatments and long hospital stays while still trying to keep their spirits up. Throughout the 12 hours, families are invited to take the stage and tell the story of their experiences with Universi...

    Read More

  • Presentation Of Purpose : Autumn ' Jade ' Murray

    1296 Words  | 3 Pages

    I considered myself a performer, and after years training as a classical ballerina I expanded into stunting and tumbling. While on tour, I developed friendships and bonds with dancers strengthened by a mutual love for dance, a commonality over the pain our bodies endured daily, and conversations on bruised and broken toes.

    Read More

  • Essay On Aaliyah

    556 Words  | 2 Pages

    While a student in the dance program at Detroit High School for the Fine and Performing A...

    Read More

  • Free Admissions Essay - The Dance of Life

    623 Words  | 2 Pages

    The best expression of dance comes from a skilled and experienced dancer. Ultimately, I want to dance the dance of medicine in a way that fully expresses the essence of the dance, which is a dance of knowledge and compassion. A dancer that can take the music and choreography and express the essence of the dance, has an indefinable quality that only those with a pure love for their calling can possess. In dance, that special quality is what separates the average dancer from Baryshnikov or Pavlova. That aspect is one that intertwines unsurpassable skill with a focused relentless devotion to the task. Although I have danced since the age of three, I know I do not have this prima ballerina quality, but as a future doctor, this same kind of quality is what drives me.

    Read More

  • Graduation Speech : High School Dance Team

    1586 Words  | 4 Pages

    Since the age of two, I have been dancing. I have been involved in lyrical and classical ballet, contemporary, pointe, hiphop, jazz and tap. When I turned 6 I also took up gymnastics. Through middle school I danced, and did gymanstics as well as softball and soccer. I loved these sports but when high school hit, I had to pick one and I chose cheerleading. I chose this sport because it was not only a extraordinary team athletically but they were extremely involved with the community. We had fundraisers for less fortunate children multiple times and even got to interact with them every winter. The leadership role on the cheer team taught me so much, we lead the entire student body to have school spirit and respect at the football games every friday night. My senior year I decided to switch back to dance and tried out for my high school dance team, and made it! It has been such a blessing to me by showing me even more leadership and how to serve others at our school and in the community.

    Read More

  • The Pressures of Dancers

    3179 Words  | 7 Pages

    The typical idea of a dancer is that they are tall, slender, full of energy, and lucky because they dance with all of the “stars”. Much of this is true, however, what many people do not think of are the many hardships that a dancer goes through in order to achieve their high status in the dance world. It takes much hard work and determination along with good direction to become a dancer. However, nothing good comes without a price. Dancers often times have many pressures put on them which can lead to physical and emotional damages. These damages occur through the pressures from the media, parents, teammates, and the stereotype that society has placed on dancers.

    Read More

  • Fall Dance Concert Analysis

    958 Words  | 2 Pages

    The fall dance concert, Rise, was held in the University Theatre at California State University Dominguez Hills. The individuals that helped make this concert come to life are the faculty choreographers: Amy Michelle Allen, Marco Carreon, Sarah Cashmore, Jeff Hendrix, Erin Landry, Doris Ressl Acosta, and Kenneth Walker. They were accompanied by two senior student choreographers, Alanna Neely-Sanchez and Mavra Pedraza.

    Read More

  • Dance Scholarship Essay

    489 Words  | 1 Pages

    Fast forwarding to the summer of 2016, I took part in a two week dance program at New York University. At that point in my dance career, I had improved so much and dance had become my life.

    Read More

  • Reflective Essay: The Art Of Dance

    654 Words  | 2 Pages

    Miami Dade College’s very own dance majors, who were challenged by the artistry of guest choreographers as well as themselves, performed The Art of Dance. Watching this performance truthfully made me question if the dancers in this program were being trained properly to be professional dancers

    Read More

  • Dance Concert Analysis

    1167 Words  | 3 Pages

    Over Halloween weekend, Dance TCU in concert, performed at Ed Landreth Hall on the TCU campus, was a mid term showcase performed by the students in the TCU School for Classical and Contemporary Dance. The overall mood was very professional. These college level dancers performed various pieces from Giselle to video edited versions of dance to contemporary dances inspired by swing dancing. Each piece was unique and whether the style was classical or contemporary, the execution was very good. The quality of the performance was spectacular and showed all the work that everyone involved in the production has put out to perfect all the aspects of the show come together. While there were some minor technique errors, the staging, costume design, lighting,

    Read More

  • Analysis Of A Dance Team

    1097 Words  | 3 Pages

    There is something beautiful about dance, but there is something more beautiful about dancing with others. When a group of 13 girls and 1 boy can come together from 14 different ways of life and move together as one, then a dance team become more than just a dance team. This was not something that happened over night, it took time, effort and about 7 conversations with our coaches about our values. Without all of those components this team would have never became the successful, fighting, dream team that we became.

    Read More

  • Dance Moms Research Paper

    1353 Words  | 3 Pages

    “I have been a dancer since I was four, a coach at the age of sixteen, a studio owner for a short time in my twenties and now I run the show.” Stated Macy when asked about her experience in dance. For eight years Macy has set up and managed dance competitions all over the United States. Although Macy’s job might sound like a dream come true to a person who has danced their whole life, the job does not come without complications. According to Macy, in the business of dance competitions many are unaware of what takes place behind the scenes, including long hours of office work, traveling to and running each show, and maintaining relationships and productivity with

    Read More

  • My Lifetime Goal to Make a Positive Change as a Doctor

    741 Words  | 2 Pages

    As a prospective doctor, I can expect to encounter life’s biggest challenges. Life and Death situations will present themselves, and it will be up to me to make a spontaneous decision which portrays confidence, finesse, and accuracy. There’s so little time to ponder the best procedure to perform; so little time to waste. Dance has prepared me for this type of challenge. It has perfected the preciseness in my judgments. On stage, there have been times when I will forget my steps and my mind goes blank; anxiousness seeps in rushing with adrenaline, and the initial thought is to “book it” and flee, but my experience in dance has enabled my ability to make quick altercations in the choreography, preventing the ruination of the showcase. Similarly, when an alarming case presents itself, as a doctor, I will be ready to make an accurate decision.

    Read More

  • My First Dance Performance

    450 Words  | 1 Pages

    Preparing for the final evening was as much fun as the event itself. We were a group of eighteen girls. Some, like I, had some background in Kathak while others were dancing in this style for the first time. The teachers worked hard with us over a period of twenty days. They encouraged the team and were patient with us as we fumbled with the steps. It was hard work as the steps of the dance were changed few times till we got the steps all the eighteen girls were comfortable with. We did not grudge the effort and looked forward to performing before the parents.

    Read More

More about Dancing With the Heart

Open Document