I recently graduated from Comfort High School and have been involved in Hermann Sons Dance for 10 years. Dancing has always been a passion of mine. Every Wednesday evening I would meet up with my friends after school and enjoy new music and extra time with them. When I was little, we did all sorts of dancing from tap to hip hop to ballet. Now that I am older and more experienced, we perform more difficult genres such as jazz, lyrical and modern.

I enjoy music in general, but getting to use my body to tell different stories through dance makes me understand and feel the music even more. Being part of Hermann Sons Dance has meant lots of practices, dress rehearsals and recitals at Christmas and the end of the year.

Throughout my 10 years of dancing, every encounter with dance has taught me lessons in life.

As I get ready for recitals, I start to notice the younger girls admiring the older girls and our techniques. Being looked up to has shown me that I am a role model to these younger girls.

It has taught me leadership on and off the stage because I know that I am doing the right things then the younger dancers may follow my actions.

Being involved with dance has taught me time management and responsibility. I was expected to show up on time, “dressed and ready to dance,” as the teachers always announced. As I have gotten older, it became my responsibility to get myself there and to be prepared when I got there.

I was involved with many schools activities that required a lot of my time but because dancing is a passion of mine, I have always made time for it.

Dancing gives me the opportunity to be creative and outgoing. It is ironic because most people know me as an introvert, until you really get to know me and I break out of my shell. I love going to dance class and being able to incorporate my own choreography when the teacher asks. I love being able to go to dance and break out of my shell and dance my heart out. I have always enjoyed being on the stage during recital and not giving a care in the world, and just letting out my enthusiastic side.

And my dance friends knew they could always come to me and ask for help on certain moves or a section of the dance.

Since it was my senior year, I performed a solo that I choreographed on my own, along with the other two senior dancers. This has taught me to make time to practice so that the end result was what I wanted.

Now that graduation has passed, I am reflecting on how far I have come just because of these past 10 years. As I head off to college I will never forget the many life lessons Hermann Sons Dance has taught me. I will never forget everyone who has contributed to my years of dancing and everyone who has provided me with an avenue of creative expression. Dancing will always be a passion of mine and I am blessed to have been doing what I love for so long and I hope to continue this passion of mine in my future endeavors.

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