I have been a dancer for as long as I can remember. I did all different types: ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop, contemporary, etc. I was never the most talented dancer on the stage, but I definitely was one of the happiest. The rush of adrenaline you get when the stage lights illuminate and warm you skin, and the music is booming through the room and through your bones. I spent 2 minutes showing off what I spent almost a year practicing for and the sound of the audience cheering was instantly rewarding.

When I was dancing at a studio in Gainesville, I was offered an opportunity to travel to New York over the summer to dance in Times Square for National Dance Day in July 2018. I had always wanted to travel to New York, so I was thrilled to be able to do what I love the most in such a beautiful atmosphere.

We had also been invited to dance at the New Amsterdam Theatre, where Aladdin is performed. There were three small groups of us performing choreographed ballet, contemporary, and hip-hop to “Somewhere Over the Rainbow”, “Seasons of Love”, and “My Shot” respectively. The entire experience was surreal, I lived out a dream I didn’t even know I had.

To prepare for our Times Square performance, we went to an enormous hotel and hundreds of us were all learning the choreography together. It didn’t matter that I didn’t know these people, we were brought together by a passion for dance. We wore red sequin tops with matching sneakers and gave it our all. I never thought I would get an opportunity like this, and I will never forget the pure chills I got when doing something I truly loved.