If there is one thing that writing these blogs have taught me, it is that I love writing about dance almost as much as I love actually dancing. I hope that I do not come off as selfish when I say this, but I truly do enjoy telling others about what I do for hours after school every day. This realization also got me thinking, how did I even start dancing in the first place? In this post, we will be discovering together about how, and why, I chose dance as both my sport and identity.
It all started when I was two years old. My mom decided to sign me up for a little tots ballet class at a studio called Von Hideki, and I hated it. Every Saturday morning I would be dragged into class by my mom, crying because I did not want to leave her. My one vague memory of this class was I had a really good friend who always wore a lavender leotard with a huge tutu. But then she quit. So I went back to crying every day. At one point my mom got so annoyed with me she just put me back in the car and we drove home. This was the end of the road at Von Hideki. This studio was located next to the Jewel-Osco on Naper, but was recently knocked down to make room for new stores. Even though it sounds like I did not enjoy my time here, it was a little heartbreaking to not see it there anymore.
My dance journey was then put on hold. From the ages of about 3-7, I did every other sport possible: softball, gymnastics, swim, soccer, and even art lessons at one point. I was pretty decent at gymnastics, but I unfortunately quit when I was about 6 because they tried to put me on the competitive team, something that was way too intense for a girl my age. This is when I went back to dance. At a studio called Contempo Dance Academy in Lisle, I took around 5-7 classes a week that consisted of many different styles of dance like hip hop, jazz, ballet, and musical theater. I was even asked to audition for the studio’s company team! Although my time here was fun, it was short lived. The studio closed down and I was once again studio-less for the second time by age 10.
Instead of waiting around, this time we found a studio super quickly. It was called Deforest Dance Academy in Glen Ellyn, and it was so amazing. I am happy to say that this studio still stands today and holds so many memories. Here, I met some amazing friends and was able to be a part of my first competitive dance team. My team competed in hip hop, but they offer a bunch of other dance classes and teams that you could be a part of. My teachers here were great, and I even still keep in touch with them now! But by the time I was 13, I started to think about where my dance journey would go next. I was getting close to being in high school and dreamed of being on the dance team at Naperville North. At this point, I decided to leave Deforest for another studio that would help me grow in my technique, or as I thought.
The owner of the next studio I went to was the daughter of my mom’s friend, so it was super easy to get signed up for classes quickly. The studio was located in Romeoville, which was a hassle to get to. When starting here I became really close with the owner and the girls in my classes, which was both great and really dangerous at the same time. The owner would begin to tell me that my dancing “looked like trash” and “that was the worst thing I’ve ever seen,” as a joke. But as time went on, it didn’t feel like a joke anymore. My confidence was at an all time low and I wasn’t even learning the things I needed to make the dance team at North.
However, I was still so excited when I made the JV dance team my freshman year, but the owner was not happy. My time at her studio
ended soon after receiving very rude messages from her. I quickly got over this and began my time on the Naperville North Dance Team. I was on Junior Varsity my freshman and sophomore year, and honestly I am so happy I was. Even though all I wanted to do was to be on Varsity, looking back I realize I have learned so much from my time on JV. I developed a strong work ethic and the ability to run 3 laps around the school. I am so incredibly grateful for all that I have learned through the dance program at North, and I cannot wait to finish out my last season here on the team with some of my best friends.
Now that we have uncovered basically everything about my dance life, I think it’s safe to say that I didn’t choose the dance life, the dance life chose me. I’m sure you have heard that a million times before, but despite studios closing and harsh teachers I always seemed to be drawn back to this amazing sport. Dance means so much to me, as you can tell, and I hope that you all have something in your lives that makes you just as happy!
PSA: Mark your calendars for the Dance Team home competition on December 4th!!
Hi Tess,
I hope you’re doing well. I really enjoyed reading your engaging blog about your dance journey, and how it developed with ups and downs throughout your childhood and into high school. I honestly wish I had the same passion for dance as you do. It’s not even that I don’t want to dance at times, it’s quite frankly that I am not good at doing so. In the Indian culture, you’re oftentimes expected to perform a dance at occasions like a close family member’s weddings, and boy, I can easily say that dancing in front of hundreds of people multiple times is some of the most difficult endeavors I’ve ever done, mostly because of a lack of abilities to keep up with the choreography my experienced and naturally good-at-dance cousins throw at me. Nonetheless, it was a great experience and I learned a lot from doing so. Anyways, I thought it’s really interesting how you were able to find your way back to dance despite originally having a slight distaste towards it. That’s quite commendable, and especially interesting since you’ve stuck with it ever since. Nice job with your blog, I enjoyed reading it!
Hi Tess, I really enjoyed reading your blog. It was really interesting to read about how you progressed through levels of dance. I also found it interesting that you went through so many studios, each with its own ups and downs. Although dance is something close to your heart, I admired how you could still look at your past experiences with objectivity. People have a tendency to look at things that they did when they were young through rose-tinted glass, but you honestly wrote that you hated it in the beginning (which seems logical, considering you were forced to do it when you were only two). Furthermore, it was disappointing to hear how the owner of the dancing studio in Romeoville derided your dancing skills. Although it can be good to form personal relationships with coaches or mentors, I believe that it was unprofessional to single you out, even if it began as a joke. I think you made the right decision to quit the studio when you made the Naperville North dance team and it’s great that the North dance team is a more welcoming environment. Overall, you wrote a really interesting and engaging post!