Daily Dose of Dance Blog
Episode 1 – Don’t be Afraid to Dance
“Eat your vegetables”. That is good advice for people of all ages right? When we do things that are good for us it makes us feel better. Oh my gosh – REALLY?? Just one sentence into this blog and you might be saying to yourself “Sure Jillian, so what’s your point?” I guess I am hoping to get your attention so you will read this blog about why I think dance classes are not just important, but necessary. I can tell you from firsthand experience that dance truly made me into the person that I am today.
When i was 9 years old, I was VERY shy. I truly did not talk to many people besides my family members until I was in 4th grade. When I was in 5th grade my parents moved our family to another state. The move took me from Cleveland Ohio, private school with uniforms, stuffy church clothes and, my favorite place, Ann Carroll dance studio. We moved to a one blinker
light town in the U.P. of Michigan where the casual school dress (and church dress) was T-shirts and jeans, we got the day off school for deer hunting and there were NO DANCE
SCHOOLS.
Fast forward a few months and not only had my parents found a new dance studio for me to attend, but it was in another country and I was quickly nicknamed “The American”. That’s right. We drove north from our little town to where I 75 ends and crossed the bridge to Sault Ste. Marie Ontario CANADA. In a crazy coincidence, the customs officer was the daughter of a
dance studio owner and that was the beginning of the second leg of my dance journey that lasted until my 20’s.Although I was very afraid at first, my new studio teachers were patient and encouraged me to try when I was ready. I observed for a few classes and quickly saw that I had the skills to be able to dance in this new studio.
By today’s standards, the things that the dancers said and did that were directed at “The American” girl would surely be considered bullying. Same could be said for classmates back in Michigan that were an hour and 15 minutes away from the dance studio and never quite understood what I was doing when I went there everyday.
For me, none of that mattered. My daily dose of dance was just what I needed to not only make my heart happy, but to keep myself strong, build my confidence (no matter what people said) and put me on a path to success that NEVER would have happened without my daily classes and teachers who pushed me while teaching me so much more than dance. Sure, I had days when my motivation was low, but on the drive home I was always so glad I made the effort. It was exactly where I was supposed to be.
In my next episode, we will talk about how that Daily Dose of Dance can help your child reach every dream they dream. Until then, keep smiling and Don’t be Afraid to Dance!
