Three years ago today, I attended my first dance class. I walked into that dance studio feeling nervous, afraid that I wouldn't fit in with the other dancers because I was the most inexperienced person there. I wore a pink leotard with a matching pink skirt and cream-colored tights. I had big dreams at that time. I always imagined what my future would look like if I succeeded in the dance world. I wanted to perform in front of hundreds, thousands, even millions of people. 

I was four years old then, and when people asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up, I always answered confidently, “I WANNA BE A BALLET DANCER.” I spent most of my time practicing ballet until I was ten years old. However, I decided to stop going to ballet class because the environment was toxic and made me incredibly insecure about my body. Can you imagine how it feels to be insecure about your own body at ten years old?

Even though I was traumatized by the feeling of being judged whenever I went to dance classes, I still danced. I tried different styles—hip hop, jazz, lyrical—but the one that resonated with me the most was contemporary. Contemporary dance made me fall in love with the dance world all over again. It opened my eyes and made me see the world differently.

Now I'm sixteen years old and still go to dance classes daily. I'm even working on a recital to perform right now. I found myself through dancing. My four-year-old self would probably be proud looking at me now and seeing how far I have come. To be honest, I'm proud of her too. I'm proud of her for making it through all those years of “torture” and still never giving up on dancing. I would probably be disappointed in myself if I had stopped.Now, im surrounded by the people that made me feel worthy, the people that made me gain confidence not crushing them down to the ground. That silly dream of mine really did come true, and I still have big things to achieve in the future, but I'm confident that I can do it.