“The studio is closing”
At this point I lost the ability to form words or complete thoughts. My brain was too busy trying to comprehend what these words meant for me. Dance had been a consistent and stable part of my life ever since I was a wee little toddler. As I grew older, I began to really enjoy and look forward to dance class. As life became busier in middle school and then hectic in high school, dance really became an escape for me to release stress and express my emotions creatively.
But inevitably times change. The economy became unkind to many, especially the arts. In 2010, the dance studio I had gone to since I was a toddler was forced to close and file for bankruptcy. It was like the rug was pulled out from under me. I lost the stability and familiarity in my life. I created close connections with my teachers and the other dancers but now I wouldn’t see them anymore. I had come to depend on dance as part of my life and now it was gone. I tried to move on. I tried to rely on the other things in my life that kept me busy such as soccer or lacrosse or choir. I loved all these things but they were not dance. They could not substitute in for dance.
When dance was gone, there was a hole in my life. The phrase “you don’t know what you have till its gone” suddenly made perfect sense. Dance brought a joy to my life that I was unaware of until I was no longer dancing. Upon realizing this, I decided to throw myself back into dance and with more intensity than before. But it was far less of a decision and more of a need. It was evident that my body physically needed to dance when I would go for a run and end up leaping down the street. I needed that pep back in my step and I knew it would put a smile back on my face.
I began the search for a new studio, which meant lots of phone calls and visits to dance studios. From all my visits I felt like Goldy Locks. Some places were too big. Some places were too serious. Some places were too far. Until I found just the right fit.
I ended up at Bowman School of Dance where I spent two years there before graduating high school and moving out to Dickinson College. During these two years, I challenged myself to work harder and make up for the time I had lost. My time away from dance reignited my love for dance. I didn’t realize how much of an integral part of my life it was. With continuing dance at Dickinson, I am now considering being a dance major because I can’t imagine not having dance in my life again. My friends have wished me luck in finding a job as a dance major, but I’m not worried. If you do the things you love, then your passion will find a way to make it work. So I will keep dancing and see where my feet lead me.
