the first time i took a tap class i wanted to grow up and be a crayon doctor

staring at miss renee’s feet and trying to do the same steps

stomping around the room

smiling and laughing as my feet made the loud taps

it was my favorite place to be even though i sometimes thought that i should be practicing fixing broken crayons instead

The first time i took a ballet class i wanted to grow up and be a marine biologist.

I learned how to plie.

I learned how to pirouette.

I didn’t get to just stomp around the room anymore.

Ballerinas are light as a feather and quiet as a mouse.

I liked ballet even though I sometimes thought that I should be studying sea turtles instead.

The first time I took a jazz class I wanted to grow up and be a mermaid at Sea World.

I learned that I could leap through the air with my toes pointed.

I also learned how spot my turns and not get dizzy.

Following Miss Lori, Hope, and Cassy. Mimicking their every move.

Jazz dancers don’t make noise, but instead of saying “quiet like a mouse,” we say, “don’t sound like elephants.”

I loved jazz, even though I sometimes thought that I should be practicing staying underwater instead.

The first time I took an Irish class, I wanted to grow up and be a Broadway star.

I learned that if I want to make it to Broadway I need to be versatile,

I need to be a triple threat show stopping actress.

The best part about Irish was getting my hard shoes and stomping around the room like I was five again.

But since I was older, I was focusing  on making the correct noises, not just making noise in general.

I adored Irish, even though I sometimes thought I should be working on audition songs instead.

The first time I took a contemporary class, I wanted to grow up and be a dance instructor.

I learned more about myself in dance class then anywhere else.

I learned you don’t have to be blood to be family.

I tried hard to perfect every move I did; Paying attention to all the miniscule details.

The dance studio is my home, my safe place, my haven.

I was obsessed with contemporary, and I loved the fact that it was helping me work towards my future career as a dance teacher.