12 Years of Dancing
As most parents do, my parents also introduced me to soccer, swimming, gymnastics, and dance. I showed the most interest in dance, which soon became my extracurricular activity after school and on weekends. I started learning Ballet, Tap, and Jazz styles when I was 4. I joined the Performance team of my studio for three years, and then, starting in 4th grade, I joined the competitive teams for Jazz and Tap to compete at regional, state, and national levels. I continued to do competitive dance for five years until I joined high school.
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As life became busier, dance became a way to look forward to outside of school. I made a ton of new friends. All-day dance conventions and dance competitions helped with endurance. It built my skills in time management, being organized, and presenting myself.
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Now, in high school, I am an active participant in yearly dance production as a lead Tap dancer. I started a Tap club to raise awareness and interest in Tap dancing. I am also volunteering as a dance teacher to teach dance to kids with special needs at at organization called FCSN (Friends of Children with Special Needs).
Tap Became My Most Favorite Style
Tap is a style of dance that is not as popular as jazz or ballet, but it’s my favorite. I have advanced in Tap the most over the last ten years of my dance journey. I find it very technical yet full of character. It is like learning an instrument; it teaches you to focus, and it can empower even a visually impaired dancer to master it. It was good to see that Harker Upper School aims to have at least one Tap dance number each year in its dance production. I feel proud to be part of each year, giving me a unique opportunity to stand out.
Anyone can learn this style at any age. I started a Tap club at school to raise awareness of this style and teach some simple techniques to my friends. It has helped more students explore this new style, and each year, the group of tap dancers in the dance production increases by three times.
Giving back to the community
As a middle schooler, I enjoyed being a teacher's assistant in my dance studio, and since then, I have decided to volunteer to help others in learning dance. High schoolers get an opportunity to volunteer and serve the community through many established organizations. FCSN has given me an excellent opportunity to teach dance to kids and adults with special needs. I have been volunteering at this organization for over 50 hours and will continue at least till I join college. Teaching dance to this community has given me a broader purpose and perspective as I approach adulthood.
