"Dance is what I love to do" - Vires, Artes, Mores

People who know me know that I am not an image of physical strength or of traditional background. People who know me would call me talented, artsy and graceful. Now I know what you're thinking...graceful? For the past nine years I have been passionate about dancing and performing on stage. I accurately exemplify the philosophical guideline of Artes. In my nine years of training, I have studied ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical, hip-hop, modern as well as some basic ballroom styles and am continuously growing in those styles. . Dancing has influenced me greatly in ways such as gaining strong leadership skills, learning the meaning of dedicated and disciplined, as well as figuring out how to believe in myself.

A dance company is one big team or family. Some of our dances have fifty or more people in them which take a lot of strenuous work to get the choreography correct along with the formations perfect. A leader must rise out of the group to make sure steps are hit properly and timing is on. The leader must also assure the group to be confident and reassure them if they mess up. I am the one that takes that responsibility. This leadership skill has allowed me to take charge or group projects in school and strive for a good grade. Over the years I have learned the fine line between leading and dictating. I believe that to be a good leader one has to listen to others and intake their information and skills. Nothing gets accomplished if the leader just assigns tasks to the members with out consulting what their strengths and weaknesses are.

Many people do not realize the physical strength and stamina dancing takes to make it look effortless and graceful. A lot of dedication goes into improving technique and growing in new and upcoming styles. I am at the studio six days a week for a total of about fifteen hours a week. This dedication is exemplified in my everyday life because I have learned that hard work really does pay off so I have been known as a person who never quits and follows through what I am doing. Even when times get hard and I have a million things to do at once, I manage my time efficiently to get everything done on time. Dance isn't just a high-paced activity, but an emotional one too. One of the biggest characteristics of a dancer is discipline. In class, we are to act professional and mature because we are there to learn although on occasion we do have some fun because we are one big family. When I'm not in the studio my principles at dance still apply. I am very respectful to people and show common courtesy.

Just imagine the anticipation that overwhelms a dancer right before they step on stage to perform solely on their own. Confidence is a huge part of dance because a dancer can't perform their best if they are self-conscience about what others think or if they believe they will mess up. What I have learned over the years is to just dance because it is what I love to do. People can think whatever they want about me because I dance for myself. I believe confidence is a key asset to have in the real world because one must have the skills to give a report, make conversation and they must be secure with themselves so they know its okay to fail. Failing is a big part of life that helps growth occur.

You do need a conclusion here to wrap this essay up; something to connect the end with the beginning, encompassing the points you have already made about your topic. Without it, the essay does fall flat and leaves your readers with an unfinished, unsatisfied feeling.