My First Inspiration

It is difficult to put to words my thoughts, feelings, and emotions towards dance: an art form that has made an enormous impact on my life since I was fourteen years old. Dance has slowly become the centerpiece of every goal I have for my future, and now, I want to share with others the reasons why dance has the capability to do so much for your heart and mind.

…

First and foremost…

When I think of dance I think of one word, and that is inspiration.

Only seven years ago, I was completely inspired. I spent fourteen years of my life hopping around from one after school activity to another. I was a high strung kid, always needing to do the next best thing. One of these activities was dance. At this time, I knew the basics. I knew what a plié, dégagé, and battement was… but I felt nothing. I was just typical, nervous Gina.. running around without her feet on the ground. It wasn’t until my first hip-hop class that I felt so much energy that my body was emulating complete joy.

On that day, I learned a combination where each movement aligned perfectly with the musical beats of the song. It was as if every beat had “charged” me; I felt exhilarated and completely in touch with my surroundings. When I left the class, I specifically remember being a sweaty mess and driving home on a hot summer night. Despite the complete physical discomfort I was feeling, I was joyful. I immediately went home, found the song that we had just learned the combination to, and I began to practice. I was inspired.

…

For the following years, I took every ounce of inspiration that I had, and I translated it into passion. My passion and drive to dance caused me to learn and grow as an artist and a human being. I traveled, competed, and took class from dancers and choreographers around the country. I surrounded myself with the feeling of perfectly dancing a piece of choreography, the masterpieces of amazing dancers and choreographers, and simply, the love of dance. I would go on tangents with people who have never danced a day in their lives about the experiences I was having. Dance took away every worry or sadness I had, and I became free and happy.  I never wanted to stop.

…

The inspiration that dancers feel is unique, and a true dancer can find this inspiration in every moment, dance-related or not. When a dancer is inspired, they feel as if their entire world was just opened up to the possibility of something amazing. The one very thing that they are most passionate about in the entire world was just given a small spark that will aid them further down their pathway as a dancer. This is a truly beautiful feeling, and I hope artists around the world can see that dance can and will forever inspire them. It is remarkable to share and speak about such an experience, knowing that just one moment of dancing can completely ignite and exhilarate one’s heart and mind in an instant.