My Passions For SAASA

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

a.I would like to be an SGA officer because I have always enjoyed leading others nd I am very interested in being more involved in my school. I would like to be the Vice President of the Sophomore class because I can be a representative of my and put forth ideas to my entire class and perhaps the whole school.

Being a part of a community is nearly essential in the process of becoming an adult because during the teenage years people are constantly shaped into who they will be for the rest of their lives. Throughout my kid and teenage years, I have always been a part of a dance team mixed with people my age, and younger or older. Being a part of several teams has made me feel as though I belong to a group and has helped me to gain a better sense of confidence in

“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.

During the summer of 2016, I participated in the local Scandinavian Festival. This year it took place on the outdoor stage at our community center. The festival presents a wide variety of information on the countries of Scandinavia. This activity is very important to me because I met new people, and was able to come out of my comfort zone while learning about heritage in my community. I was hesitant on dancing for the festival, but my parents encouraged me to put myself out there and try something new.

My freshman and sophomore year at Savanna I participated in colorguard which is something I thought I would never in a million years be a part of. The reason I thought this was because, first of all I had no interest or experience in anything that related to dancing and secondly I just couldn’t picture myself performing in front of so many people. Colorguard has thought me a lot and I don’t mean just how to toss and catch a flag, I mean life lessons but I think the most important thing that it has taught me is to have confidence in myself. One of the biggest differences between colorguard and most other sports is that you are not simply judged on if you can do something but also how well you can do something.

At Cheyney University I am a member of Iconic Modeling and Dance group. With the modeling group, we perform around Pennsylvania at other colleges, and on Cheyney University’s campus several times a year. This is the first group I joined my freshman year. Being from Upper Marlboro, Maryland and going to a college out of state was difficult for me to fit in. I began to see flyers for a modeling group and I immediately tried out. I made the team and have been on the team for 4 semesters now beginning Fall 2015. Iconic has taught me to build confidence while performing on stage in heels and that I can build a strong bond with each person on the team

Being committed to competitive dance for 15 years has immensely impacted my life, as I have not only progressed technically and performance-wise, but I have been given numerous opportunities for self growth and development. Dancing has shaped me into a well-rounded, confident individual who is able to prioritize responsibilities, cooperate and collaborate with others, and exhibit strong leadership skills. Involvement in any extra curricular can aid one in developing a true passion, and through dance, I have been fortunate to find my passion.

I’ve always dreamt of dancing in New York City and this summer I earned the opportunity to live out that dream. After auditioning and waiting months for a result, I was accepted into the Rockette’s Summer Intensive. The program was, in brief, intense. I went into the intensive not knowing anyone, first time in New York, and all while the stress looming over my head that I was performing with strangers the challenging choreography that was just thrown at me in seven days. The first few

As an uncultured, whitewashed, charter school Indian, going into high school trying to find an extracurricular activity for me was a bit of a challenge. I was very unexposed to my culture, and had friends who showed me something I could be apart of. When I saw what it was, I turned the other way as fast as I could. We walked into the Canton cafeteria on a Tuesday after school, and I can truly say I’ve never seen so many Indians gathered in one place—on time—for the same cause. It honestly felt like being back in the motherland, and never do I want to go back there. I look ahead with the only two Indian friends I had standing at my sides and as I stand in awe, they go about greeting everyone and catching up. I’ve never felt so out of place, which was was weird considering everyone usually knew who I was, but I had no idea who any of these people were.

The training program on the next few pages is and example of 6 six weeks of training, 2 weeks each consisting of the off-season, pre-season, and the in-season. As you can see, the off-season is very high in volume for both the weight room and conditioning on the track (relatively longer as well, ex: 600s and 400s), while the intensity is rather low. This is done mainly to increase cardiovascular endurance and strength which will be the base for pre-season and in-season workouts.

My mouth hung open as I watched the gorgeous, graceful girls leap and twirl across the gym floor during their annual summer mini-camp. From that point forward, I knew that I wanted to be a Chiefette. I studied up on the history of the team, watched every one of their public performances, and enrolled in dance team preparation classes. Each year, the Chiefettes got better and better, and during each dance, their pirouettes and jetes grabbed my heart and carried me with them through their emotional journey. Their movement quality astounded me; I wasn’t exactly sure how a team of so many girls could dance in unison with seemingly effortless grace. I knew from talking to the girls on the elite team that they maintained excellent grades, participated in other school activities and sports, and volunteered within the community. These girls were my idols, and I thought that the only way to have a positive high school experience was to join the dance team. There was no question in my mind that I would be on the team all four years of high school, and because I had prior dance experience, that I would be one of the better dancers on the team. Throughout middle school, I dreamed about the day when I would finally be able to call myself a Chiefette, but I soon realized that I had no idea the amount of hard work and talent that it took to earn that

For the past fifteen years, I have been fortunate enough to have a place that has allowed me to pursue unrestrained expression, embrace my individuality, and gave me a place where I feel I belong. The art of dance has formed me into the person I am today in ways otherwise impossible, pushing me to strive to become a well-rounded, resilient, and disciplined individual; traits which I credit for my determination to change the world around me, for my desire to be an active citizen in my community, and for my commitment to positively influence the younger generation. My dance family, my sisters, have taught me the true meaning of hard-work, dedication, and determination through their sincerity and unconditional love for their movement

The dance community that surrounds me has been the most impactful in my life. My mother first signed me up for dance classes when I was only four years old, and now almost fifteen years later I am still dancing. I started out at a dance studio in Gresham, Oregon, where I then danced for ten years. I took classes, performed, and started competing against other dancers and studios around when I was nine years old. It didn’t hit me that I enjoyed performing until I started dancing in more and more shows. Dance was a struggle for many years at this specific studio. There was a lot of moves that I couldn’t do, and I got left behind, as the other dancers my age improved and became more flexible. I felt like I owed the teachers, staff, and other

Within the past two years, dance has become a more prevalent part of my life. Dance has provided me with a source of diversion and a creative outlet from the monotony of classes. A research colleague invited me to attend a UF Volaticus Aerial Dance Club meeting. Aerial dance is a form of modern dance that incorporates the use of hanging silk ribbons to fully utilize all physical space. I was hesitant to attend at first because I have little formal training in dance, but I became hooked and was a regular attendant. Aerial dance not only pushed me physically, but it also taught me to control my body more gracefully and fluently. Last year, I performed Bhangra, a style of dance from the Punjabi region of India/Pakistan, for the Asian American