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In 2004 we offered 2 $100 scholar ships for tuition for the 2004-05 dance year. Students had to write and essay on What
Dance Means to Me. Essays were judged by an independent judge.
These are the essays that were submitted and the winners.
WHAT DANCE MEANS TO ME
By Kaylee Martin
Dance means so much to me because it is a part of me. Believe it or not I count the days until my next dance class. I say
dance is food for the soul. I express my feelings through dance. When I feel stressed out from school, my friends or my family
I know I can just dance it all away. I dance when I'm bored, hyper, happy or sad. It makes me feel that my life is good and
that everything will be ok. The great thing about dance is that you can dance anywhere and at anytime.
I feel dance teaches me mentally how to focus and to stay focused. It teaches me how to have a goal and to work at it until the
goal is finished. Dance helps me physically by keeping me strong and flexible. It makes me use muscles that I wouldn't
normally use. It keeps me active and teaches me to stay active, hopefully for my whole life.
I think dance is sweet like candy. I love the feeling inside when I get a move right. It is like winning a prize only better. My
dream is to dance solo on stage where I am dancing what I feel. I want to have the skills to be able to dance well and to my
own beat.
BEAUTIFUL
BY MEREDITH KARLIN
There is a specific stereotype attached to the word "dancer", and I don't like it. In fact, I hate it. Dancers are expected to be
perfect: pretty, graceful, and elegant. Unfortunately, the world has decided that a skinny body is the best prescription to help
a dancer meet these requirements. Being a mere 5 foot,3 and 3/4 inches tall and, at the very least, weighing in at 170 pounds,
I am far from having the ideal proportions a dancer should have. Dealing with body issues can be very, very hard, and one
would think that a person of my stature would steer clear of such strict bodily guidelines as that of a dancer. So what has
kept me in dance for 13 years?? That is a long time, but what is most amazing and uplifiting is that not once has anyone at my
studio criticized me or looked down upon me for my size (if they have, they do a great job of keeping it behind my back).
Sadly, being overweight is the first thing that a peer will notice at school, and I have heard about my weight many times from
kids at school of which I have been in attendance for a lesser period of time than dance. I find it very odd that dance, a place
where I have chosen to put myself at the risk of the judgment of other teens, and at a place where a good physical body
shape is expected, I have felt more comfortable with my image than at a public place, where students are made to attend, all
shapes and sizes are forced to act together, and where there is no label on how to look -- or a least, one of lesser value. I
love to dance not because of recitals, or makeup, or the fancy costumes (although they are awfully fun), but most because I
have a class of encouraging girls who never make me feel bad for not being up to their standards. I know I am not one of the
strongest dancers, but they never seem disappointed in my ability. I also enjoy dance because my teacher allows- welcomes
such a diverse range of body types and people in general. She is always looking for a way ti include everyone in dance. My
greatest gratitude goes out to all of them.
So what is dance to me ? Good question. I am not comfortable enough with myself to join the school's dance team, or to
pursue it further than 1 class a week, but for the little time I am with my dance class and my teacher, I feel like that pretty,
graceful and elegant woman that dancers are thought to be because of the wonderful atmosphere I am surrounded by.
Dance makes me feel beautiful.
by Lindsay Lockhart
Dance means hard work, practice and performance. It means being on time for practice and recital. Trying to remember
the right steps makes me feel nervous at the shows, but at the end it is all fun and gives me some thing to do.
When I asked Ashley what dance means to her, or how she feels about dance, her reply was, "Dance doesn't make me
feel like anything. It's Just fun!"