Dance Personal Narrative

As a youth, I engaged in many forms of dance expression. I studied tap, jazz, and ballet for fifteen years. During these formative years, I choose to forgo many youth experiences so that I could participate in advance dance programs. The hard work paid off when I received a college scholarship to a performing arts

When I was four years old I was introduced to a tall, petite, beautiful ballerina who spun around the room with elegance, and effortlessly captured the crowd with her stunning abilities. As a little girl, I sparkled with admiration and was inspired to be all she was, it was from that point on, that I ventured into an unknown world of art, strength and expression. Now being eighteen years old with about fourteen years of experience in the dance world, I have learned and developed the norms, values and practices of the culture, and the conflicting theory within it.

When I started volunteering at Utica Dance in the fall of 2014, I was just as nervous as the newly enrolled dancers in the class I was about to teach. Even though I was only the Volunteer Assistant to the Dance Instructor, I felt as if a heavy responsibility was placed upon me. I oversaw almost twelve children ranging from seven to thirteen who all wanted desperately to become professional dancers, many of which are still pursuing that dream. On top of that, all these children had begged their parents to sign them up for an expensive, intensive fundamental ballet program; then dragged their parents to buy tights and leotards; then dragged them into the waiting room of a dance

My whole life changed on October 29 of 2012. Before this date, I was just practicing hard like any other dancer would. Two days a week and two hours a day, sweat, sore muscles, and all my work poured into my dancing. Dancing provides knowledge, emotion and dedication. Recognizing that I have built that from when I was young is a huge feeling of accomplishment, like the first time riding a bike without training wheels.

“What are you even doing here? I have never seen such flawed technique in all my years as a choreographer.” The words echoed throughout the medical college auditorium. Impelled by the admonishment in front of my peers, I persevered in my endeavor to improve upon my dancing prowess and by the final year of medical school was leading the college dance team. The above mentioned undertaking further spawned an interest for the discipline of Latin Ballroom which lead to participation at the national level. The unwavering focus and persistence even in the face of unfavorable odds is more broadly reflective of my approach towards learning, both academic and extracurricular. This has been instrumental in achieving stellar academic outcomes including being ranked nationally in the top 0.0004 percent in the premedical test and the top 0.6 percent in the common aptitude test for management training.

Jaspreana Tobias, a young girl born in the vibrant city of New Orleans, Louisiana, was a child who had grew up around music and rhythm and soul. Born to a family where the last person who was not from New Orleans was born two generations ahead of her, one could assume the rhythm was in her blood. Since she was little and could feel the music, the young Louisianan danced and did so with passion. Though her family loves music and all its counterparts, Jaspreana is the only dancer in the Tobias family tree. In high school, Jaspreana, a determined dancer, tried out for her school’s dance team. Unfortunately she did not make the cut. As any young woman would be, she was disappointed in herself; heart-broken actually. In her mind, she had a great chance at making the team, due to her skillful footwork and elegant grace as a dancer. In her own words, the result of her not making the team was “devastating” as it shook her confidence to the core. On that day, Jaspreana swore she would never try out for another dance team ever again. After months and months of sulking and great disappointment, her love and passion for the art of dancing returned. Not only had it returned, it returned with a new fire which burned deep in her soul. Dancing was her passion and being a professional dancer had been her dream since she could ever even two step to the sound of a simple beat. Jaspreana practiced and practiced. She would dance and think about dancing from the break of dawn until dusk. Finally

One of my first literacies I learned started as a simple extracurricular activity my mother put me in to keep me out of the house and out of her hair. I started learning a literacy of dance through taking classes. At three years old I start ballet and tap combo class, from there I continued taking more classes in different styles and taking more advanced classes. By dancing for 15 years I learned and acquired extensive knowledge of the art. I started to learn and take class at Marta Jackson School of dance, I continued my training for fifteen years, until my senior year of high school. I danced on my high school dance team, at other studios, in different local productions and even in the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade.

Picture a casual day in the life of an ordinary girl: going to school in the mornings and performing her chores during the evenings. Now, reorient this to a day where she lacks of time to balance homework and sleep as pulling all-nighters is a quotidian activity where the exclusive task is to execute all her responsibilities. This vigorous alteration portrays how my life has changed in the preceding years. Antecedently, I was able to attend Orland Ballet's Summer Intensive. Challenging my daily living, I was chosen to dance with Ballet Concierto's professional dance company. Subsequent years later, I am able to face the challenges to come.

I heard constant reminders of “Put your shoulders down!”, “Raise your chin”, or the worst, “SMILE!”. Dance taught me how to persevere through the hardest of times and routines. Many times I wanted to quit and say “I can’t do it” or “this isn’t for me”. I learned how to act poise and elegant when it was easier to just give up. Dance taught me to look happy when I was sad, to stand up when I wanted to fall down. More often than not, I dropped to the floor, gasping for air after a routine. But I never stayed there, I always got up. And that’s the beauty of a dancer, we never give

I walk up to the back door of a small log cabin that’s located in the middle of a large corn field. The first step inside brings an aroma of sweaty feet and hairspray and, for some reason, the smell plays back childhood memories in my head every time I walk along the tiny hallway that leads to the waiting room. As a little girl, I was thrilled to see all of my friends stretching in the waiting room and getting ready to dance. Mothers were chatty and siblings ran around like the room was a circus, making the space seem so small, but as you went through the thick door into the dance studio, the craziness of people disappeared and we were ready to focus and learn. Tall ceilings, two large metal pillars, and mirrors along the walls gave the illusion

Some people dream of success while others wake up and work hard at it. ~ Winston Churchill.

“Year after year we always get so close, but we never make it,” Dustin screamed throughout the dance studio. We all acted like we weren’t listening, but we all were. This year we all had one thing on our mind and that was making it to Nationals. Dustin was right, but none of us wanted to admit it. I always said, “Maybe the judges weren’t watching.” Maybe they were just crazy, but I knew that it was because we didn’t match up to the other team.

My name is Kayla, I am currently an 8th grader at Silver Hills Middle School in Westminster. Dance has been a big part of my life, even though I only started studio dancing 2 or 3 years ago. Before that, I looked up how-to videos and learned off of there. Studio dancing gave me a whole new perspective of what dance is, it’s a way of expressing myself and expressing my emotions. I remember the first time dancing at EVQ, it was an entire new environment where the dance instructors there treat their teen students as adults instead of children. Of course, this frightened me since it was all new and I didn’t know anybody there, everyone was ridiculously nice and I made new friends the second week I was

She could hear the muffled sound of the dance track playing through the walls of the dimly lit studio. "He’s here," she observes, peering in through the doors glass panel. She releases a shaky breath, relief flooding her system as she rests her forehead against the cool temperature of the door frame. Her eyes squeezing shut momentarily to gather her wits before watching him dance, a hand resting loosely on the silver door handle.

15% of the people in this world are either born or develop a mental or physical disability (Brown). With all of the disabled people in this world, there should be a cure by now. Over the years physical therapists have gained a larger understanding and knowledge of dance therapy and how this source of therapy can do for both the body and brain (Charlier). Dance has been used in rehabilitation centers and mental hospitals to help cope and overcome obstacles. In rehabilitation centers each patient goes through the process of understanding what they need to do and how to get to the goal that is set. There are different types of lessons and movement to get something out of this new goal they have set. Each patient creates a personal goal through