Why I Love Dance

As a child, I found joy in watching dance performances from behind the curtain. I would just stand and watch in awe at the poise, the grace, and the elegance with which these performances were executed. I watched a girl spin only the way I had seen the ballerina on my music box spin. She leaped like there was no tomorrow, like the stage was custom fitted for her and she would rather be nowhere else but here. She stole the show, solo. And I stared down at my small white ballet shoes, doubting that I would ever get to be like that girl. I continued to watch behind the curtain. For 11 more years. Then the time came when I was no longer the one behind the curtain, but rather, I was the girl on stage. I was lost. I found myself and lost myself at the same time as I went through my solo like a journey which I never wanted to end. I turned, once, twice, thrice, and leapt in the air as the world around me ceased to exist. And all of a sudden, it was just me and the stage. Me, my worn pink ballet shoes, and this stage. As I danced, I felt fulfilled, like the stage truly was custom cut and fit for me. I curtsied gracefully and as I exited that stage for the 10th time, I saw a little girl with white ballet shoes and a fluffy pink tutu watching from behind the curtain, just standing and watching in awe. And I smiled. I smiled because I realized how far I had come. From that little girl watching, I had been transformed through dance into a graceful, poised, dancer. I realized how dance has shaped me as a person. How it has molded me into the person I am today. A person who gets up no matter how many times she falls, a person who never stops until she gets the step just right. A girl who, even today, isn’t just dancing to get to a certain place on the floor, but rather, to make the most of each step along her way.