To Live Is To Dance

I began dance classes when I was 3 years old, but was wearing tutus and prancing all over the house even before that. I remember my dad spinning with me around the room to the "Music Box Dancer" song from my first dance class and putting on neighborhood performances with my little sister and friends until it was way past embarrassing. I did all sorts of dance, but mostly ballet, jazz, and hip-hop.
When I was younger I liked the outfits as much as the dance and performing of it. Who wouldn't in an outfit like that- eh? (I would just stare at this particular costume in my closet and just wish I could find some way to wear and then I realized how great those spandex bottoms would look with different tops. So between 3rd and 5th grade that was my main style and I knew I was lookin' good. Man, I miss the 80’s when I could get away with that sort of thing.- ha) As I got into my teen years I was in competitive dance teams practicing many hours all week and performing on the weekends.
When I was 16 and 18 I needed major knee surgerys because some of my bone and cartilage in my left knee on the weight bearing section had come loose and broke off. Afterwards the doctors told me that I would not be able to dance like I always had. It was devastating, but I've always had so many interests that I found happiness in pursuing art and guitar more for a while. I dabbled with swing dancing in college for a year or two and my dance partner was great and one of my favorite people, but I was always afraid for my knee and even hurt it a few times so I stopped. So really I haven't individually danced since I was a teenager. I had become use to that and didn't realize how much expression, release, and happiness I get from it until I began my global dance class last March. It is so much more than a dance class for me. I LOVE the women, my instructor, and dancing again!!! I feel like I am me again. I didn't even realize I was missing a part of me, but I was. My knee is doing marvelously too! (Knock on wood) It's holding up so well because for years I did low impact exercise and weights to build up strength in my leg muscles and built up in intensity until I could dance again. So now I'm back in the leotards jumping around and spinning all over. (I'm starting neighborhood performances out front soon if anyone wants to come- jk) I think my body remembers dance too because when I started dancing it began letting go of the baby weight from my girls that it had been holding on to even though I had been working out 3-4 times a week for over 2 years.
My lovely dance teacher, Olivia, surprised us and made these wonderful funny not-so-little paper dolls of each of us using our photographs for our heads. My doll is in the "goddess" pose and I have her hanging in my room even though I think she scares my husband sometimes :) so I will remember who I am. I'm a mom and a wife, but I'm also me- a dancer! (Now I just need to build up some courage and start drawing again- if only my husband wasn’t so darn intimidating in his drawing skills.) :0)