Personal Narrative: Ballet, Music And Operation Smile

The first experience of watching a ballet, for me or any little girl, can be fascinating and exhilarating. Wondering how a dancer can be so steady on her toes as she spins in circles and leaps through the air. Watching a ballet, there is a feeling of wanting to be graceful, as well as the warm sensation felt by a little girl as she slips into dream land. My mom had taken me to my first ballet when I was 11 years old. When we returned home home, she signed me up for classes at the local dance center. The expectations to become a prima ballerina would involve much hard work and concentration. I knew when I started it would take years of steady practice and commitment. Learning the history of ballet and the famous

I walked on stage, my head pounding and my knees shaking. I looked to the audience, but bright, glaring lights blocked their faces. As the music started playing, I forced a smile onto my face. I can usually smile naturally, but tonight was different.

Dance has always been a huge part of my life, it pretty much is my life. Ever since I have been four, I have been taking frequent dance classes every week in various different styles of dance. I started in Ballet and at the age of six, I started Highland. I have also done hip hop, jazz, modern and contemporary, but Highland was definitely the most rememberable.

I was a dancer for fourteen years, beginning at the age of four and ending at the age of 18. I participated in basically every type of dance including ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, modern, lyrical, and contemporary. Each year, I would participate in more classes than the last, and it eventually got to the point where I would be attending dance classes five or six days of my week. It definitely got tiring, but I still loved it. Dance is a great way to be able to portray emotions through movement, and I think that is very unique and special to participate in. It was a very huge part of my life, and so were the people teaching me. Dance and everything that came with it was a huge influence on my life, and it helped shaped me into the person I am today.

Growing up was never easy for me, but I did not let that stop me from pursuing my ballet career. I didn’t grow up doing ballet, and taking my first ballet class at the Boys and Girls Club at age 13 gave me a setback compared to others who may have been dancing since they were 3. My teacher put me into many positions,

I started taking dance lessons at the age of three and once I started you couldn’t get me to stop. I was at the studio more than I was at home, if I wasn’t dancing I was watching the older girls, wishing I could be as good as them. Although I almost quit when I was eight, after my mom left. She said she just couldn’t do it any more and the next morning she was gone. After

Since the early age of four, I have been mesmerized by classical ballet. Every week, I watched my dance teacher display her beautiful skills during class, and I hoped that I could dance as well as her someday. As my love for ballet continued to grow, my opportunities widened. In the fall of 2013, I became a member of the dance ensemble at the dance studio I attend. When I joined the Pointe Academy Dance Ensemble, my position at the dance studio shifted from being a student dancing in the back of the room, to a dancer who learned how to teach others and set a good example for younger students. To me, being a role model and using acquired experience to inspire and guide others is leadership. My dance ensemble has been my most meaningful leadership experience because it is the source of where I have become a leader.

If someone in the world doesn’t already know, I love to dance, more specifically I love to do ballet. There is never a day that passes where I don’t do something ballet related, like actually going to class, or on my “off days,” dancing around in my kitchen waiting for my chicken nuggets to become golden brown. I have been through some arduous times with ballet, but it is what helped me learn to become a better dancer. If there is one thing I would let anyone know about ballet, regardless if they are just starting or professional, is that it is nearly impossible to reach your maximum skill capacity if you compare yourself to other people. Of course, how would I know that if I haven’t been there before?

The first time I ever saw a live dance show was when I was in the fourth grade. I remember going on a field trip see The Nutcracker, and I recall sitting in a huge auditorium with seats just like the movie theaters, red velvety curtains, and gold trims. It was definitely something I was not use to seeing. When the curtains went up, I was astonished at how amazing the ballerinas were. That field trip definitely opened my eyes to a new experience. Since then, dance has changed in many ways such theirs costumes, dance movements, and music.

Dance has always been a part of my life, whether it was from the first day my mom taught me salsa in the family room to now performing in front of huge crowds around my community. Whether its ballroom, west coast, or country, I have been able to express myself in ways that I never thought possible. Through my commitment and perseverance I strive to become a better and more knowledgeable dancer every day. I continue to learn new things and search for opportunities to widen my horizons and interact with the dance community. My passion grows with me as I grow as a dancer and I hope to be able to share that passion with others for the rest of my life.

Everyone is different and has different interests and hobbies. That’s what makes everyone unique. Those interests and hobbies also shape these people into what kind of person they are, it defines them. The interests that has shaped me is Black Veil Brides, Michael Jackson, and my percussion passion.

For the past twelve years, I have trained in the beautiful, disciplined, and often grueling art of ballet. During my years as a student, I learned the technique, musicality, and artistry needed to become a ballerina, but, more importantly, I discovered the strong character traits that are necessary for success. Every aspect of my ballet training has provided me with unique, essential qualities. Focus, respect, and meticulousness were emphasized and learned in every class, cooperation and trust were mastered during partnering, and fearlessness was acquired after numerous performances. Though all of these characteristics have shaped me as an individual, I am most proud of the hard work ethic that I have achieved.

At the age of three, I began taking ballet lessons. I was little, it was fun and I got to pretend I was a real ballerina. Never would I have guessed that fourteen years later I would still be dancing. Ballet has always been an important part of my life, being on the stage performing has always been my favorite part. Never understood the excitement when I was younger.

My crutches clicked against the ceramic tile making the stage echo thunderously with each step I took. The glaring lights on the stage blurred my sight as I extended my arms to reach my award with pride and gratefulness. The loud, incessant sound of the audience cheering and applauding has bombarded my ears with majestic sound. Exultant tears formed in the corner of my eye and began their descent down my nose, to express my appreciation for the audience encouragement and support. Suddenly, the scenes around me began to fade, nothing was well defined. The flashback appeared swiftly and unexpectedly, stealing my thoughts away from the surroundings and taking me back through a journey to my past.

I started ballet when I was 5 years old. At first I did not want to join ballet. But my mom forced me to join. When I tried out, I was really enjoying the class. But I did not want to show that I did enjoy it.