Why I Dance – Tess Rosenfeld

I dance for the feeling of freedom. I dance for the feeling of joy. Dance releases something in me. It releases stress and anxiety, and it helps me forget anything bad that may have happened in the past. Dance also helps me express myself in a way that nothing else does. “Why do you dance?” is a question that has been presented to many people throughout history. Answers vary, but many relate to emotion. Personally, dance is lifesaver. It keeps me afloat, and it helps me to thrive.

Why I Dance at Pretenders

I have danced at many studios throughout my life; first at Village Arts, then Santa Monica School of Dance and Music, Power Academy, Westside Ballet, 8 Count Dance, and finally Pretender’s Studio. Why did I settle at Pretender’s? Pretender’s is a joyful place where your bad feeling disappear. “Woosh,” they are gone. Pretender’s is a supportive environment. If you do something amazing, your peers don’t show you jealousy, but instead applaud you. If you are working towards something and you don’t do it right, your peers don’t shame you, but they encourage you. Most of all, Pretenders is a family. When I sit between classes, and I have finished my homework, I always have someone to talk to, because everybody at Pretender’s believes in including others. When I am sitting in a dressing room before a show, there is someone to sit with, because we are a family, and I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Why I don’t give up on the hard stuff

Perseverance is hard. When I dance, and I can’t do something, it is easy for me to want to give up. The thing is, I rarely do. Dance is such an amazing thing. If you can’t do something perfectly, all you have to do is give it 100%. You just have to do it full out. Then, I never have to give up. All I have to do is fake it till I make it, and it makes me feel really good about myself.

-Tess