By Bella Salem

When I first thought about the answer to this question, I thought it was simple. I believed that the sole reason I dance is because it makes me happy. While contemplating this prompt, I soon realized that this question has a deeper answer. I don’t dance simply because I like it. When I dance, I have a way to express how I’m feeling at that moment through a different, creative aspect of life. I find myself embodying different characters and emotions through music and body language. In dance, you take what has been given to you and present it in your own style to many people, demonstrating your full potential in the artistic world. I am able to communicate with my body in any way I want to. Dance lets me be creative in a plethora of ways, providing daily lessons that apply to everyday life. Not only do I dance for myself, but for others too. Dance is a gift waiting to be opened on Christmas day.

Once open, it blossoms and grows to transform you into another dimension. Watching the audience smile and cheer is a gift to see. It represents the joy you bring to this world. Dance is a piece of happiness for everyone to enjoy. It is a way of giving back. We use dance as a way to give back to the community and to help out different parts of the town. I dance to be helpful to others and see the gift being opened. I dance for triumph, happiness, exhilaration, and for the life lessons that come along the journey.

No matter what situation you might’ve been in, dance can always make me smile. It takes away the bad moments you had and makes you forget about the real world. Dance is an escape from life. Not only do I dance for the movement, but for the people and the community that is built.

You open the studio door, walking into a flood of greetings and smiles. There’s always an open chair for you to sit and talk. Once you walk through those doors, it’s like all the stress of the world has left your body, and you are able to express yourself freely; not only physically, but emotionally too. It’s a place that brings a smile to your face. The place where you can laugh and cry in people’s arms while sharing priceless memories. A judge-free zone, where you are able to be yourself. It’s not the building that makes this so special, it’s the people located there. The people who you cry with. The people who are there for you no matter what. The people who celebrate you with your success and are there when you’re at rock bottom. I dance for the community. I dance for emotional relief. I dance to be free. I dance to be me. I dance for not only myself, but for everyone. Disneyland might be known as “The Happiest Place on Earth”, but the real happiest place on Earth is my dance studio. My second home.