Pursuing A Bachelor's Degree In Dance

At a very young age my mother asked me “do you want to do dance or gymnastics?” and I remember my reply was instantly “dance!”. From that moment forward I completely fell in love with ballet, and a couple of years ago I decided I would like to see myself grow up to become a professional ballerina.

As a child growing up in San Diego, my youth has been nothing short of any teenager’s wildest dreams of living near the beach, having bonfires, and surfing on the weekends. Although this lifestyle is desired by many, I’ve always wanted something more out of what I do with my time. I want to go to Spring Hill College to become a humble professional in an industry, serve the most people, and learn about the world around me. My life was struggling for direction until I became active in the sport of volleyball and my religion flourished in the Catholic Church. These structures consume the majority of my service as I feel everyone deserves these opportunities for happiness and acceptance.

Dancing has been my passion since the age of three. Wake up, go to school, go to dance, go to sleep. My life was a routine of the same day playing over and over again, and I loved it. My senior year of high school I was accepted into the Commercial Dance program at Relativity School. I felt my dreams become a reality of the perfect future I had always worked towards.

“Dancer’s are the athletes of God,” Albert Einstein said. Dance has many structures to it; there is modern, ballet, contemporary, and tap just to name a few. Dancing should be recognized as a sport. Dancing has the same components as a sport does; dance improves memory, balance and coordination, and it provides a mental escape.

Webster University’s artistic director, Beckah Reed was very welcoming to me and the other dancer that was having a tour. She was able to tell me more about the program and how they were planning to evolve in the coming years. She was able to explain a BA verses a BFA in dance and how taking an emphasis on either ballet or modern technique could affect the courses that I would need to take in their program. I was able to watch about fifteen minutes of both of their morning ballet classes, one with Michael Uthoff and the other with Alicia Graf Mack. I was able to take class from Alicia during Senior Showcase and after that communicated to her through email about a date I could visit the campus that would work for both her and my family. The

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.

Another one of my passions is dance. Since the age of three I have been dancing. Whether it is on stage, at a competition, or just in front of my family, I found a love for this art. Around the age of thirteen I began student teaching; because of this, I found a liking for helping people become more confident in themselves and their dance technique. Not only did I learn to dance, but I also built confidence, learned great stage presence and to have respect for everyone. These are all lessons that will remain with me for life.

Dance is one of the major things that defines my identity and it is an interest that had become so meaningful, that without it my application would be incomplete. This has been able to shape me throughout the years, from discipline and maturity all the way yo leadership and teamwork. I find dance as an art work, that it is easy to make mistakes and fall, you just have to learn from those mistakes and get up twice as strong as from where you started. Dance is to look above and beyond and just let everything fall into place without hesitation.

My dream is to study musical theatre in a college setting, where I can grow as a performer and as a young woman. I long to compete for my time in the spotlight, but recognize that the relationships I build with classmates will sustain

Embedded in my psyche as a child was the fact that college was my only option after high school. This parental sentiment was synonymous with a phrase as simple as “tie your shoes.” For me, high school graduation would be a standard occurrence, but my college graduation would be celebrated. The college I would attend required thoughtful consideration because it will be my rite of passage. When I dreamt of my intended college, I knew it would be set in a beautiful city, bustling with energy, and full of consciously creative people. I didn’t know if my university campus would be urban or suburban, but I knew it would spark excitement, fulfill my need to connect with a global community, and offer several opportunities to propel me to the top of

The expectation that I hold for myself in life is success. I have many goals I wish to achieve in my future; however, the only obstacle in my way is hard work and myself. Of my many ambitions there are still many out of my reach, but of the ones achievable without too many years passing are the issues I’m considering and preparing for already. More than anything, I wish to graduate as Valedictorian of my class, be accepted into a college with a free-ride, and when I move to my new school for senior year I will still try to follow my dreams no matter the challenge. After high school, I plan to attend several challenging colleges some ideas are UT Martin or Vanderbilt. This education will allow me to live my life as I wish; with a high paying

I have been dancing since the age of two. When asked about my career aspirations, there is no hesitation before saying “I want to be a dancer.” Being a dancer means putting all other distractions aside, and focusing on my craft. Currently, I dedicate over forty hours a week to dance, which is a schedule that requires sacrifice. When I am dancing, the rest of the world fades away, slipping out of my mind with relaxed importance. For that moment in time, I am completely free, wholly focused on my goals, letting me know dance is what I’m meant to do. With this realization comes a responsibility to myself and the work I have put into improving my craft thus far, and I know I must seek out the best opportunities for growth and continued learning.

I chose dance. I had done baseball for a while and thought I would do well with a change of scenery. Soon enough, it was time to say goodbye to the team. I made the right choice. I can always go back.

For many, after graduating high school the next big step is college. I never asked myself why or if I even wanted to. Yet, since I was not yet ready to join the work force, and didn’t want to disappoint my parents, I simply followed the path that I was supposed to take. For a while I had no direction, but through the loss of my high school English teacher and my dream of making my family proud, I discovered that college was the place I wanted and needed to be.

Above all, my personal goals are to learn as much as I can and make my family and myself proud of what I’ve accomplished. I’ve realized that college is a great opportunity to further my education and I want to take advantage of that by taking in as much knowledge as possible. The reason for this goal is to know that I did the very best I could when I graduate college. Not only will that make me proud but it will make my family proud too. Staying motivated, focused, and determined is going to be the key to