Dancers often don’t think about it, they just do. But when asked the question – Why Dance? – it makes us stop to think about how impactful dance is in our lives. Throughout a dancer’s journey, life lessons and morals are created. Most dancers don’t typically think of it as just an after-school activity, but more as a safe space or a home.

Parents often enroll their children in numerous activities and sports, so they can figure out their likes and dislikes. This is also an opportunity for kids to begin to formulate their own opinions on what they may or may not want to do in the future. Dance, recreational or competitive, is one of many formative activities that parents choose for their children. While most dancers start at the age of two or three and continue until they grow out of it, or develop a love for dance, there’s always a question of why?

I spoke to my dance teacher, who feels passionate enough about the art and has such a deep-rooted love for dance that she made it her way of life. “I’ve gained myself. Knowing myself and honoring where my mind and body are day to day.” While she shares the highlights of her experience in dance, this isn’t the case for all dancers all the time; sometimes dance can feel like a chore, or a burden to come to after a long day. 

My dance teacher admits to feeling like this, that it’s hard to come into the studio day in and day out, to always continue to move forward. She says, “I’ve lost a lot of hope and motivation during times, but gained it back while trusting the process to relearn and recover.” Relearn and recover, a process that every dancer experiences and what pushes us to strive for improvement  and to work harder. 

Friendships, education, and a family is what evolves out of many dance teams and studios. Sometimes dance isn’t just about the actual movement itself, but instead about things we have because of our connection through dance. These friendships and relationships are one of the many factors that push us to keep going both through positive and negative circumstances. 

Dance is meaningful and important to any individual who cares deeply enough about it. A dancer’s first meaningful moments are just like a kid’s first few steps. These meaningful moments only build and become even more powerful. For my dance teacher, one of her first meaningful moments was her first ballet solo.

“It was the first time I noticed that I had thoughts, an inner dialogue as I was dancing. Remembering corrections, showing emotion and feeling. I could witness my own growth at the moment.” This first realization is something that makes you understand why you do what you do. 

It may take some time for someone to fully understand why they do what they do, which is completely normal. For dancers, it’s all about movement, how it makes them feel, and what’s gained from it. Now take a moment to think, what is something that you have done for years, whether that be an activity or something that you have enjoyed for a long time, and ask yourself why and what would your life be like without it?