IIt was the summer before 6th grade, and I was still deciding whether to take PE or dance. I was hesitant to take dance, despite hearing incredibly positive things about it because I was really shy and not too comfortable with the idea of dancing in front of people. But I took a chance and chose to take dance instead of PE, and I am so thankful that I did.
During nearly every dance class in sixth grade, I felt uncomfortable as I stepped out of my comfort zone, but as the year progressed and I became more confident in myself, I realized I loved dance, and so I auditioned for the highest ranking competition team, Company, at the end of the year. And made it.
In seventh grade, though I was in Company, at the beginning of the year I was not one of the best ones–– actually, I was one of the worst. But I was determined to be better, and I wanted to be an officer, one of the top 6 who, in addition to leading the team, got their own 2 additional dances. And I made it.
Now, as an officer in eighth grade and having been in dance for 3 years, I’ve realized that this experience has taught me so much more than just how to dance and do splits because of the many things that are unique to a dance team.
Through competing in front of a packed gym, I learned to not doubt myself, to always perform confidently, even if I’m not–– because to broadcast poise is to be poised. And consequently because of this, I’m more outgoing and a lot less shy than I was in sixth grade, and it’s brought me many opportunities that I wouldn't have had before.
Through leading a team of many different people, I learned that not only is teamwork important, friendships between team members is crucial for a healthy and growing team, and fostering those relationships as soon as possible is a priority to ensure that they can connect with each other and form a tightly knit team.
But most importantly, I’ve learned to step out of my comfort zone because it’s the best way to grow and learn, not to mention meet many different and incredible people. It’s the key to many opportunities and building evolving relationships, and becoming, overall, a better person in the end.
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