At least 10 times I started to write this, and each time the emotions got the best of me! Dance has always had a special place in my heart and in my life. It actually started with my grandparents, who were Latin/Ballroom dancers, and danced and taught together for 56 years; from the day they met until the day my Grandma passed. My Mom always jokes that it skipped a generation because my brother and I both dance, and my Mom not so much. I will share some of my dance details from younger years in another post, but for now… my journey to Ballroom and what it has meant to me to re-live my greatest passion. It’s a short but meaningful one story. Sometimes we put our passions on the back burner and focus on life’s responsibilities. Between career, moving several times, a personal roller coaster… I had always “fit” dance in where I could. Teaching a hip hop class here and there, part-timing with a DJ company, and a few other opportunities... it was something to do when I “had time”. Who ever has time? We make time when something matters. Well I drove by the Anytime Dance studio one day and googled the phone number. At least I can say I tried, I told myself. I ended up getting a call back from Chris, the owner, who invited me to a Latin Foundations class. I agreed to go, and in the back of my mind, I thought I could just bail the day before I didn’t want to go. Looking back I realize how self-sabotaging my mindset had become, and I am SO glad I didn’t let that get the best of me. Even in that one class, it was like I found a lost piece of myself. Like dance is part of who I am, and I had not felt like that person in a while. Through some very stressful personal times, dance became something to look forward to, and a huge wake-up call for my mindset. Sometimes I would show up to class in tears from stress, but I would walk out a whole different person. Sometimes the tears still came, but they were happy, emotional tears that came from a place I had forgotten. I feel like this opportunity not only gave me back a piece of who I know I am, but allowed me to honor my grandparents in the most amazing way. Thankful, humbled, and honored to be part of something so amazing!
Comments