What Dancing Means To Me

When my feet first hit the dance studio floor I am sent into another world. All that is rushing through my mind is the anticipation for the combinations and the excitement of the choreography. This is where I belong, where I can be the best version of myself. 
 Dance is hard on the mind and body and some days when I have a bad class and feel like quitting, I am able to let go of everything and focus on the flow of the movement between each step - the combinations and choreography. With this kind of focus, I am able to zone everything out and feel like I am the only person in the room. Dancing brings me a feeling that I will never forget - a feeling of an enormous rush of exhilaration coming from the very bottoms of my feet to the top of my head. Whether it's being thrown in the air or a Grande Jete across the floor makes it feel like I am flying, soaring above the clouds, transcending time and space. 
At least one time per class, my friends and I end up peels of laughter whether it be me tripping over my own two feet or someone falling down.  
 I spend my Saturday mornings getting up at 8:00 am, getting dressed in a leotard and pink tights, doing my makeup, and going to the studio to help teach three, four, and five-year-olds ballet. People always ask me why I do it, and I never really knew why until it was taken away from me during the pandemic. I love doing it because I get to see the joy on my students faces. I am able to see them running into the classroom screaming and laughing how they are the first ones here, running up in my arms saying they missed “Miss McCall'' over the past week. There is an indescribable feeling of warmth and purpose when I see the young students experiencing the same glee and excitement I feel when I dance. 
When I find I can't express myself in words, dance is the one medium where I can express my innermost feelings. Over these years dance has become a part of me. It is something that I can not live without the one thing I know that will always be there for me, the one thing I can turn to when all else fails. Even though it is nearly impossible to double major at an excellent dance program, I am willing to take that risk of failure to reach my dreams. Dance will always be a part of my life even after I retire I will still always have that spark to pick up my pointe shoes and leap back onto the dance floor.