Strength and Passion

As young children begin to dance, they explore the fluidness of movement that their bodies make Whether it is through tap, ballet, jazz, even hip-hop There is a sense of freedom Freedom of expression Freedom of movement Freedom to be themselves at that age To be young without a glint of fear exposed Anew to a world of continuous opportunities, waiting to be taken and conquered with every shuffle and piqué But as the child grows, They feel pain, fear, and anxiety There are times where they may feel defeated, or like a failure Yet they do not know that they will be great Because their greatness comes from within, Ready to emerge and breathe into life, as a child does when they are born Dancers do not dance because it makes them happy, they are happy because they dance They do not dance for fame and glory But for how they feel inside, for how it makes them feel inside: Happiness, joy, love, and excitement Determination and beauty They smile, they practice, and they perform Because they are a dancer As Forrest Gump says, “My mama says you can learn a lot ‘bout a person by lookin’ at their shoes. Where they’ve gon’, where they’ve been, where they’re goin’. I bet if I tried really hard, I could remember my first pair of shoes.” Just like Forrest Gump, dancers will always remember their first pair of shoes, because it represents their past, present, and future.