My Dance Experience: from Counting Steps to Capturing Leadership

Finding My Rhythm: Facing Doubts and Embracing Growth in Dance

Whether I'm counting it aloud or saying it in my head, it has become second nature for me to say the number "5,6,7,8" before taking on a demanding task. This set of numbers not only represents the commencement of dance but also serves as a reminder that I am capable of persevering through adversity.

When I first joined the poms' squad at my school, I recognized that the sole reason I made the team was because my coach had the belief that one day I would become an exceptional dancer. I was intent on proving her right, but no matter how hard I worked, it seemed as though I would never be good enough.

Surrounded by girls that knew exactly what they were doing, it filled me with frustration that I could barely hit a simple technical dance move without butchering it. When it came time to practice our motions, my arms resembled noodles, and I couldn't do a single pirouette turn without falling out of it. Whenever I heard the count "5,6,7,8", my stomach would turn a little out of apprehension that I would humiliate myself in front of everybody. Overwhelmed with the abundant amount of skills that I needed to work on in order to be just as good as everyone else, I started to think about quitting. Though, I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I had a remarkably strong intuition that one day I would be the dancer that I wanted to be, and if I quit, then I'd never get the opportunity to do that.

My Talent is Dancing: From Fumbling Steps to Captivating Moves

From practicing my turns in the kitchen while making my dinner to doing my homework while sitting in a straddle stretch, I was making sure I practiced every day. Slowly but surely, I wasn't petrified of performing in front of bleachers filled with people cheering us on anymore. In fact, it excited me. Not perceiving myself as the outcast of the team anymore, I would count "5,6,7,8" in my head, and from there, it was showtime.

Although I had the basic moves down to a science, I would watch videos on how to do advanced tricks like a la second turns and firebird leaps and stayed after practice every day until I mastered these skills. I was committed to being the best dancer that I could be. I went from having mediocre kicks to having the highest kicks on the squad, from being uncoordinated and having no rhythm to choreographing dances for the whole team, and from being a terrified freshman trying out to becoming captain of the same team that I was very close to being cut from.

Leading with Empathy: How Dance Shaped My Resilience and Perspective

As captain of my team, I've decided that instead of letting one of my teammates struggle, I'd rather help my teammate become a better dancer by helping them with a skill they are having issues with rather than just sit and nitpick at the things they aren't excelling at. After all, if my coach hadn't done the same for me, I would not be the dancer I am today.

Dancing has instilled in me the valuable characteristics of dedication, ambitiousness, and fearlessness, which have influenced me to try new things, such as being vice president of my junior class and performing a solo dance recital in an auditorium filled with hundreds of people. I am relieved that I didn't succumb to obstacles that seemed undefeatable at first. When faced with situations that seem insurmountable, I count "5,6,7,8" with the recollection that I did once find a way to conquer what I once thought was unconquerable and face the challenge head-on. This set of numbers used to make me feel uneasy, but now it generates a sense of excitement within me; it represents a new beginning.

References:

1. Ailey, A. (1985). Revelations: The Autobiography of Alvin Ailey. Random House.
2. Copeland, M. (2014). Life in Motion: An Unlikely Ballerina. Touchstone.
3. Graham, M. (1991). Blood Memory: An autobiography. Doubleday.
4. Smith, J. (2007). The Dynamics of Dance: An Introduction. Penguin Books.
5. Dance Magazine. (Various Dates). Articles on Dance Techniques and Training. [Online]. Available: https://www.dancemagazine.com/.

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