11/05/2024
Written by: JULIA DOBSON-GILL
(The Original Love To Dance Academy) - ALUMNI
I danced with the original Love To Dance Academy from age 11 till age 17. As a young girl I wasn’t sure what to see in myself but knowing my instructors (Vanessa and Lizette) saw something in me that was enough to put time & effort into, helped me build self-worth.
Of course, the start was intimidating, as with any challenge in life you will ponder giving up. I’m a person who has always felt different, and I knew it was going to be a challenge learning to be this type of dancer while also growing up and finding out who I am. Over time my mindset on this changed, I realized being myself and being a dancer are not two separate things; I was learning to be my own type of dancer… every dancer has unique traits and no two are the same.
There were times I questioned my capability, and I didn’t feel self-assured. Yet every time I walked back into the studio, Vanessa met me with an open mind and a challenge. By having Vanessa there to give me those small pushes, and big challenges, my confidence and self-assured capability grew stronger. As years passed, the challenges (whether it be perfecting a certain posture or learning new choreography), did not feel so intimidating to face.
Dancing with the original LTD gave me many amazing opportunities and experiences, not only in the perspective of dance, but life as well. There was something very rewarding about putting in hours to become better, it was always empowering to look back and see how much I alone (or the group of people I was with) had progressed. We learned to work together, regardless of your position or how big of a role you played, it was a must to work hard... because that’s part of being a team. “Leaving everything at the door” was necessary, it did not matter if the girls I danced with were my friends outside of the studio or not, in the dance studio it was a requirement to work together, respect one another, and help each other.
The most important traits I gained were responsibility and discipline. Even things like having confidence is a responsibility in dance, and when I didn’t have it, I learned to fake it (which led to it becoming real). The confidence I built through dance has carried me through life in many other ways. In dance I was allowed and expected to have a strong sense of self.
The discipline I learned follows me daily. Before I leave the house in the morning, whether it be to college or the grocery store, I look in the mirror and hear “shoulders back, head up!” in my mind; (words Vanessa said to me many times). Dance has not been part of my life for some time now, but everything it taught me has stuck. I still hope that someday I can teach dance to young ones in a recreational setting. As someone who has always struggled to pick up on facial expressions and social cues, dance was very helpful as I learned to feel music and rhythm; then match it with expression.
I still tend to be a theatrical person and thanks to dance I am proud of that. Most days, if not every day, I put effort into my appearance and I have confidence in my posture. I am not afraid to walk into a room and be who I am.
