If you don’t know me really well, especially since I am in a new AP Lit class than I was last semester, it is important that I address my love for dance. I have been dancing ever since I was 3 years old, and since then I think it has consumed every living second of my life. During my time at North, I have been lucky enough to be a part of the dance team. Through this experience of being on both the JV and Varsity teams, I have learned a lot. Not only have I learned how to be a better dancer, but I learned so much about how to be a better person in general. These lessons have been taught to me primarily by my teammates, and whether they know it or not they have made a huge impact on my life. In honor of how much I appreciate my teammates, here is a list of the most important things they have taught me through the past 4 years of dance team!
1. Practice makes progress
When I first started on the team as a freshman, in my eyes I was terrible. I had never done the style of dance that was now considered my new norm, and I met my biggest obstacle: turns. Turns are tricky to get the hang of. You have to hold your foot in a bent position next to your knee, have your arms out like you are holding a beach ball, go up on your tippy toes, all while simultaneously spinning in a circle without falling over. When I was first learning to do them correctly, I was so frustrated. I felt like a failure until one practice during my freshman year. One of the seniors said to me, “Things don’t just magically happen overnight, they come with time,” and it was that very moment I finally took a deep breath. I was so focused on trying to do more turns that I wasn’t giving myself the credit for the growth I had already made, and it took a while for me to realize that not everything is always going to be perfect.
2. Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard
If I could only say one thing about my teammates, it would be that they are the hardest working group of people I have ever seen in my life. No matter what they are going through or how bad their body hurts, every single day I watch them push their bodies to the max. Being surrounded by such a dedicated group of girls has helped me grow my own work ethic, and each day I work to match the same energy that they bring to practice. Something that we have adopted this year is chanting “who are we?” before we compete or during practice. This motto really reminds us that our hard work can get us through anything. My team’s ability to stay positive and push their limits has also provided us with really amazing results for our dance this season.
3. Listen to your body
Being so dedicated to a team can come with a downside, that being that you can be so committed to the point you don’t let your body rest when it needs it. Some of my teammates, and including myself, have dealt with injuries or illness and have still refused to sit out of practice. Even though it would be common sense to sit down if you are hurt, that is not always our first thought. We are very lucky to have a coach that cares so much about us that she will force us to sit down, get ice, go home, etc, if we are feeling unwell. It is so much more important to make a full recovery and come back stronger than rest enough to push through a single performance.
4. It’s okay not to be okay
On dance team we have another motto: PTPO. It stands for positive thoughts, positive outcomes. We focus a lot on staying positive and hyping each other up during practice or performances, but sometimes it’s hard to feel this way when something else in life is weighing you down. Being a team of only 10 people this year we have become super close and have learned to trust each other with things that are non-dance related. When in the presence of my teammates I feel safe enough to address something that could be bothering me, as do they do the same if needed. Through this trust we have learned that not everything is always going to be sunshine and rainbows, and it’s okay to talk about the negative feelings we may have.
5. team=family
Like I mentioned before, the advantage of a small team means that you can get super close with everyone. We spend more time with each other than we do with our own families, sharing all the blood, sweat, and tears that comes with being a competitive dancer. We have been through so much together as a team: learning how to deal with anxiety, coping with death, and bouncing back from an injury. We joke on the team that we love each other with only half of our hearts, but I can for sure say I love my teammates wholeheartedly.
As I reflect on how much I have grown as a person and a dancer, it makes me realize how hard saying goodbye to the people I have spent every day with for the past four years is going to be. They have taught me the importance of perseverance, positivity, and finding a sense of community, and I will forever be in debt to them for how much they have impacted my life.
Tessa!! Welcome to blended, I hope you’re liking it so far. It’s crazy that we finally have a class together, and I’m so excited for this semester in general. I of course had to comment on your blog because I am dance team’s official number one fan, but also because I enjoyed reading it so much. It was relatable and beautiful; well done!
As somebody who also started off their NNHS athletic journey from humbler beginnings, I loved following this narrative you shared. The climb you’ve made from JV dance to a future state champion is truly inspirational, and it must be great to look back and see how far you’ve come. I unfortunately can’t relate to all these wonderful things your team has taught you, as we do things a little differently at the pool. However, it was really sweet to see how much they mean to you. I know that you have to put on a face when you perform; I watched it a lot during fall season. But all of those smiling pictures you included at completions looked totally genuine; y’all really put the team in dance team.
Your mental health messaging is also impeccable. The support system you have on your team seems amazing, and I think it’s very important to have people in your corner through good times and bad. Whether it’s a physical or mental ailment, having the team’s support is critical. I’m glad your coach is so kind and welcoming too. It must be nice to have such a figure of positivity in your corner, hyping you up and consoling you when things are tough. It’s especially important that an athlete knows her limits, so it’s great that your coach is there for you every step of the way.
Overall, amazing blog. I can’t wait to watch the rest of your dance season, and I hope you enjoy blended AP lit!
Hi Tess! First of all welcome to Blended AP Lit! Second of all I just wanted to let you know how much I related to you and your blog post this week. The lessons you have shared have also become some of my biggest realizations as a student athlete. The one that hits home the hardest though is your last one “team = family”. I have also grown up alongside my teammates because of a shared passion for sports. But, before high school my relationships with my teammates were a lot different. In AAU basketball teammates would come and go throughout seasons. Of course I loved all my teammates but before high school started the team was never really set. This changed when we got to highschool because we all learned to work together in order to be successful. I am lucky to say that because of basketball I have been able to be a part of two families outside of my immediate family. Those families consist now of my AAU teammates and my high school basketball teammates. Just like you had mentioned, I don’t know where I would be today if it weren’t for all of my teammates pushing me to be my best.
Welcome to Blended AP Lit & Comp, Tess! Your journey and dedication to get better at dance is truly inspirational. From being on the JV team to becoming DVC champs on varsity, dance most definitely must’ve required a lot of hard work and practice as you mentioned. I think it’s really important to surround yourself with people who have similar goals as you so that you grow together and be even more motivated to reach your dreams. After reading your blog, it’s clear to me that the friendships you’ve made while in dance have allowed you to become the person that you are today and have allowed you to form a close bond with the other members of your dance group. The motto that your team holds is a saying that I most definitely hope to apply to my own life as your awareness of struggles and the mental health aspect of dance apply to almost all aspects of life. I hope that you continue your love for dance and stay close to the people you call your second family. I wish you and the rest of the team the best of luck in any future competitions you might have.