I am thrilled to be able to start my freshman year at the University of Alabama. I cannot wait to expand my comfort zone socially, mentally, and physically. Moving forward into the next four years at the university I want to focus on my major: dance. I hope to push my boundaries and explore my movement vocabulary even more than the past few years. I have always been intrigued by the field of dance. I find there are endless possibilities of things you can do. I am not exactly sure what I wish to do with my degree, but I have faith that I can turn my extracurricular activity into a career.

            I began dancing when I was just three years old. My mom enrolled me in one of the acrobatic classes at one of the local studios located in Nashville, Tennessee. We were taught how to do cartwheels, front rolls, and bridges. At the end of the year, we had a recital to prove to our parents that their money was well spent. The older girls rolled the mat on stage when it was our turn to dance. We ran across the stage one-by-one trying to impress the audience with our favorite trick. The crowd laughed and cheered as we flipped around in our polka dot dresses. My first dance recital was just the beginning of my dance career.

            I started dedicating more time towards my dance training increasing the amount of hours I spent working on my technique and performance skills. As I grew older, I explored different styles from ballet to hip hop. When I started high school I quit dancing at the studio. Instead, I was lucky to be able to attend the magnet arts high school in Nashville called Nashville School of the Arts. It was there where I truly found my passion for dance. They provided many opportunities that allowed me to explore new genres of dance and to become a versatile dancer. We took ballet, jazz, modern, and musical theatre every week. They brought in a guest choreographer for hip hop and another one to learn the basics of ballroom. My teachers always encouraged us to be well-rounded dancers. They would say, “That’s what it takes to make it in the dance field. The more styles you know, the more jobs you will be able to book.” I would dance three to twelve hours each day depending on my class schedule and after school rehearsals. I am very thankful for all the opportunities I was given at Nashville School of the Arts.

            New shows were always in the work at NSA. The non-dancers were always curious of what the dancers were doing in the studios. The dance teachers were always choreographing new pieces to give dancers a chance to perform. Sometimes guest artists came to NSA on special occasion to teach master classes or set pieces. I have been able to work with well-known choreographers such as Morgan Burke and Travis Cooper who are actually NSA alumni. These two men have influenced me greatly and gave me confidence to purse my dreams by pushing my limits and proving that you can have a career in dance.

            Advance students at Nashville School of the Arts were also given the chance to choreograph for their peers. I was able to have a chance to choreograph at Nashville School of the Arts. I was one of the three selected students to actually have the opportunity to produce a full 75-minute dance show with ten people. I was in charge of choreography, lighting, and costuming. My show was called “Hinter Dem Zaun” meaning Behind the Fence in German. It was from the perspective of a couple of Jews and their experiences during the Holocaust in the concentration camps. I could not have been any happier with the product of my show. This drew me closer to opening my eyes to the possibility of becoming a choreographer one day.

            All the training from the past fifteen years has paid off, because now I am studying dance at one of the top twenty ranked dance programs in the United States. I hope to continue my training for the four years at the University of Alabama and grow in my technique and performance skills. I plan to pursue my career in dance and possibly work with famous choreographers in a big city like New York City. After performing, I plan to become a dance teacher to inspire younger generations to dance. I wish to get a Master’s Degree in Choreography and become certified in Laban Movement Analysis. I truly enjoy creating dances with people who are passionate and dedicated to their art. I cannot wait to see what the future holds for me.