Today was the first day of class at NYU. My class was held in the same room I had my audition in last fall, which I loved. The class was a basic intro modern class to loosen our nerves and get us moving. At the beginning of class my professor had us do some basic movements on the floor. We were asked to lay on our backs in an X and slowly collapse into a ball on one side, then stretch back out into an X, and then collapse again on the opposite side. We loosened our bodies and became very familiar with the floor for a significant part of the class. While on the floor we had a minute to lay still, on our backs, and relax. I found myself near the window and as I lay there looking out, I couldn't help but think about how I got there. I could see the clouds passing above the skyscrapers that surrounded this little studio in this giant city and I felt at home. The road to the tiny studio in the big city has been a very windy, bumpy, and unpredictable road but for some reason it looks like this has always been the destination.
Our first assignment in class was to illustrate our dance lineage. That was all the instructions given, well with a huge piece of paper and some markers. I slowly started to think... and draw... my personal dance journey. I realized it has been a journey I have been taking most of my life. I drew a girl sitting in a dance studio (stick figure btw) watching as her friends danced. When I was around 9 years old I used to go to my friends dance studio just to watch. At the time of interest it had been too late to join the class so I spent the remainder of the year just watching. I was in awe of this art, sport, class, or whatever it was and went every chance I had. The teachers must have seen the wonder in my eye because I remember being invited to join them a few times with across the floor routines and small combinations. It was at that studio in Alabama that I found my niche. The next year I signed up for just about every class my dad let me sign up to take. I was quickly taking clogging, tap, ballet, jazz, lyrical, hip hop, etc. I couldn't get enough. If I was 10 minutes late I would be sobbing by the time I arrived at the studio because I was so upset I was going to miss any bit of instruction. I look back on that experience and should have known then that this desire to dance was not something to overlook later in life.
As I moved to Park City, Utah finding a dance studio was one of the first things we had to do. Luckily, I found an amazing studio that welcomed me and pushed me into great companies from year one. I was now not only taking classes, but competing and strengthening my body like never before. Being a part of competing companies with girls my age and older was challenging and thrilling. It was at that studio that I learned how to motivate and push myself, because if I was going to get stronger and better at dance it was up to me. You quickly learn how to cheat yourself out of strengthening drills such as the "2-minute-torture", aka doing the plank for 2 minutes. By High School though I didn't want to drop a knee down early, or fake anymore sit ups. I wanted to be the strongest (most of the time).
While in High School I continued to dance at the studio and joined the dance team at the high school. Also, I was able to take classes at the University of Utah in dance and although not even old enough to vote I was taking classes and working on group projects with college students. The U and the dance team taught me so much in choreography. By the time I graduated I had won Dancer of the Year at the private studio and Best Choreographer at the High School.
Even after all of this, I decided to pick up my life and move to upstate New York to study fashion merchandising. What?!
That lasted about a semester, maybe two, before I decided that wasn't right so I switched to something I thought was... elementary education. It felt great to be teaching and to be around children. It still does, I love teaching, but after 5 years of studying it and doing it I still can't shake dance. When I hear a song or see my nephew at the playground I feel inspired to choreograph. I am always being inspired. That never stopped because I stopped dancing. I guess the reason why I didn't major in it in undergrad was because I wanted a degree "to fall back on" that could "give me a career" a "safe choice". Dance as a major was always terrifying to me, because what if "I got in a horrible car accident and couldn't use my legs" or "a dancer's career is only so long". I realized though that you can't live your life in fear.
While taking a year off after graduating with my Bachelor's Degree, I was living in NYC and I started to take classes more regularly. I found myself in the same studios I used to dance in while I was competing growing up. We used to travel to NYC and compete in nationals, while taking classes during the time spent in the city. I fell in love with the city on those trips. My love for dance grew so much when I was visiting. I saw how many other people shared my passion and were SO much better than me. I knew there was something way bigger out there. Now, I am there, or here, or whatever.
"And I'm back in the game" -to quote a line from 10 things I hate about you, and I am jumping for joy. I am now not only surrounded by dance I am fully submerged in it. I am working at the NYU Box office, where students can get tickets to any performance or show you can think of in NYC at a phenomenal price. I am taking classes at NYU in Dance Education, while still taking classes on the side at studios throughout the city. Every article, book, and assignment will be about dance and/or education. This is right.
As much as I like to think of my undergrad as the long road, it was the necessary road. It gave me the skills, degree, and understanding that I actually like to teach. I love it. To be able to bring my love and passion of dance with my education background is perfect. There is no other way to say it. Literally everything I have done has led me here. I just can't wait for what lies on the other side of this degree. It always seems fuzzy and unclear until your on the other side. Right now I am thankful and excited to have a second of clarity.
