13 years of dancing...

I don't know where to start so I guess I will begin with my love for dance... I started dancing when I was just 3 years old. I started out at Center Stage in a tap class. When my mom saw my love for dance she signed me up for a couple of classes at

The Dance Club at age 4. When I turned 5 I was on a professional dance team. I was on a dance team at The Dance Club for the rest of my dancing career.

I loved to dance.

It was my whole life.

I remember waking up, going to school, going to dance, doing my homework at dance, eating at dance, then going home and going to bed. When I was sick, I was at dance. When my family had an event, I was at dance. I lived, breathed, and slept dance. I loved it! Dancing to me is my way of expressing emotion. I believe that everyone has to have a way that they can express how they are feeling inside and dance is that for me.

Sadly when I was in 9th grade I had to quit dancing. This is because I got shin splints really bad. I went to Florida for a huge dance competition and we competed all morning and ran around Disneyworld all day and all night. It was a lot for my body and shin splints arrived. When I realized that dancing wasn't in the cards for me anymore, I thought my life was over. Dancing was my everything and it had been since I was just 3 years old.

In the end, now that I look back on it, I am glad that I stopped dancing when I did. I was able to do so many different things with my life once dance didn't encompass everything I did. I am however so glad for everything dance has taught me. I believe I am the person I am today because of all my years as a dancer.

It taught me dedication, hard work, people skills, and so much more.

Dancing is still a part of my life. I love to dance around my room and release emotion. Sometimes, when I am home alone, I turn on the music and dance around and it helps me unwind from my life. It is so relaxing and I still love it.

Dance.