From the Beginning...Dance Changes Lives!

I’m a Dance Mom.  My daughter is two months away from her 21st birthday.  She’s been a dancer since the age of three.  When I was a little girl, I always wanted to be a dancer.  My family didn’t have the money to spend on dance lessons, so I took a few classes but that didn’t last long.  There simply wasn’t room in the budget for that.

I think I was more excited than my daughter when it was time for her to start dance lessons.  She acted like she wanted to go, and she happily wore her new tutu and ballet shoes to the neighborhood studio.  I sat in the waiting room, and near the end of the class, the dance teacher called me from the door of the classroom and said, “I don’t think she is ready yet.  She won’t participate.”  My heart sank!

My whole reason for taking my daughter to dance was to help her overcome extreme shyness.  I had been told by friends that dance lessons would help.  As I walked up to the reception window, the receptionist took me  aside and told me to keep bringing her to class.  She said I could take the class with my daughter if she needed me to.  She said that her daughter was also painfully shy, and now her daughter teaches and had a dozen numbers in the recital!  So, for the next month, I ended up having to go into the class with my daughter hanging on my leg, wearing my business suit, complete with stockings and heels!  It only took about a month, and from that point on, my daughter was thrilled to be dancing every week for “Miss Leslie.”

Over the years, dance has brought much joy to our lives. My daughter still dances, and is proud to be teaching and coaching other dancers.  She is thrilled when a student learns something new.  She calls me to tell me all about her dancers.  I love the fact that she has the chance to inspire others to enjoy dance as much as she does.

I’ve started this blog as a way of promoting positive, uplifting thoughts and showing how a powerful dance performance can be emotionally inspiring and motivating.  I believe strongly that every child should be involved in dance at some point in their lives, and not like the crazy characters portrayed on reality television. Studies have shown that involving dance in education can have a positive impact on critical thinking and creative thought processes, problem-solving/mathematics skills, social skills, verbal/nonverbal communication, socialization, self-concept, focus, artistic expression, and cultural and historical awareness in addition to the obvious physical benefits.

This week I am posting one of my favorite pictures of my daughter from her first year as a dancer at age three.  Enjoy!