AnitaKathleen

Dancing is one of my favorite hobbies of all time. I have been a dancer since I was 2 years old (and still counting!). That's 13 years! Dancing is pretty much in my blood. From a little girl, my mother was also a dancer. She danced her entire life. As a teenager she assisted at her dance school, and as she finished high school she studied dance in college. Dance was her passion. After she married my dad and had my sister and I, she performed in shows, and occasionally took classes in the city. She also became a dance teacher at the Staten Island Ballet. This is where I began dancing. I started at the age of 2, and I mainly did ballet. As I got older I began doing "pointe" which is like ballet except you use point shoes which have wooden pieces at the toes. This allows you to go up on them. During this time, I also started dancing at a different dance studio called Planet Dance. I did jazz and tap and every year we would do a recital in June. After dancing at Planet Dance for about 3 years, the owners split and the dance school got a new name, Rhythm Central. I continued doing the same recreational classes for a few years, but I always looked up to the older girls who did competition. I used to go to some competitions with them to watch and root them on. In 7th grade, I began my first year in Rhythm Central Dance Company. I competed doing 4 dances my first year, 5 dances my second and third year, and this year (my fourth year) I compete with 6 dances. The styles of dance I do include jazz, tap, hiphop, modern, lyrical, ballet (but I don't compete with ballet), and also I participate in a "production". A production in dance is a long dance, usually between 5 and 10 minutes, that include many songs put together rather than just one. In my dancing school every year we put together a themed production with all the kids in company. This year, we had 84 kids in the production! We use different costumes, props, and music that relate to the topic. As for my other dances, I have also experienced many different costumes and props used. From masks, wigs, and hats, to stools and plastic fiddles, I've experienced it all! I love going to dance competitions. It gives you confidence, and you gain so much by performing in front of judges, family and friends, and other dancers. You get the chance to take new classes if they offer it, and make new friends from other dance studios. Even when we're not dancing, we're always supporting our dance studio. It's also a lot of fun, and when you win awards you feel like all your hard work has paid off! Besides dance competitions I also participate in our annual recital in June, and occasionally we perform at halftime shows for Wagner College. One of the things I like most about dance is the friends you gain from it. On average, you spend 3 hours, 3 days a week with them, and you grow very close. I love dancing and want to continue dancing through adulthood, but I don't think I want to go pro. It will always be a valued hobby of mine, and no matter what anyone says, dance IS a sport!