This is my second Main Essay.
Because I want to use different essays according to different colleges in order to cater to the requirements and fondness of them.
Thank you for reading and giving me some suggestions.^^
I choose the first topic--Evaluate a significant experience you have faced and its impact on you.
I never had a natural skill at dance but one day, like coming down from the heaven above, The Royal Ballet came to give a performance of "Swan Lake" at Shenzhen Grand Theater. The special ballerina shoes, the coiling hair; everything about ballet locked my eyes onto the dancers and the performance, and from that experience, I was addicted to the world of ballet. Watching those white swans swimming blessedly in a placid lake and enjoying the warmth of the sun and coolness of the water, I excitedly pointed at those ballet dancers, exclaiming to my mother sitting next to me, "That's me!" and launching my dream right there and then.
As soon as I threw myself into the ballet, I discovered its greatest hardship: the endless pain from pressing legs and hips into unnatural shapes, pressing the instep into extreme litheness, bending down backward and so on, all of which are the essential foundational elements of a ballet class, meaning I was in constant pain. Ballet is art on tiptoes but I clearly remember the frequent scenes where my dance teacher held a stick and hit me whenever I tried to be insolent or wasn't up to her standards on a certain movement. I was always that little girl limping around after classes because of being injured from falling, being hit, or dozens of other things during a class. The initial inspiration from watching the Royal Ballet was now quickly fading and I constantly thought about quitting. Ballet became something toilsome and not attractive. Almost every night of the first year I danced ballet I would awake at night thinking about why I was suffering day after day more than my peers. I never did find a real reason for me to continue the suffering but I also didn't find a reason to quit, so I didn't quit and pressed on, working harder than anyone else.
I was then assigned to take part in the International Youth Ballet Competition held in Germany because of my previous good performance. After everyone's performance, the backstage scene was like a nightmare with girls bandage their injured feet, calling out because of painful legs, shaking like a leaf due to the great nervousness. I asked them as well as asked myself in my heart, "Why do they still insist and why should I also persist? Why go through the pain and anguish and sacrifice?" At that very moment, my question was answered, as if from a cosmic force, for I was called to go up on stage...to accept the prize as grand champion of the competition! Upon hearing that sweet and powerful announcement from the hostess, I knew I would remember that moment forever. Among thousands of competitors, I was the champion! I can still vividly recall running excitedly to the stage in great surprise to accept the golden cup prize together with a certificate written in German, which I didn't understand at all but still reading it carefully and breathlessly in front of four smiling judges. As I inched my way forward with the heavy cup, I could almost imagine it filled with all the hardships, pain, sacrifice, and work I had dealt with to get to that winning point in time. But at that very moment, I knew the dark journey was worth the bright destination.
The fantastic achievement motivated me to be persistent in reaching my goals and when in doubt, to work harder and ignore any self-doubts and to always "endure a little longer." If ever I got to the point of giving up, I could think about the dedicated girls I observed in Germany and I would become emboldened to continue whatever I was doing. With a newfound inner strength, I was able to follow my own advice and "endure a little longer" in every situation and I discovered that the more I could endure, the less intolerable a situation would be. During the process, I learned to be strict with myself and completed every movement as perfectly as possible; I learned to be not egotistical and rebellious; I learned to be no give up halfway and leave things unfinished; I learned to be responsible for my own faults and indolence; I learned to be independent, for I had to face all the difficulties as well as the injuries by myself. And finally, I learned to be eternally optimistic towards the adversities I encountered, because I realized that to "endure a little longer" was the first step in conquering any obstacle, no matter how difficult. From then on, ballet was not only a major part in my life in terms of time, but became significant to me from an emotional standpoint. I began to treat ballet as a kind of cultivation and enjoyment rather than the sore task I considered previously. The hardships in practicing were still there and degree of difficulty didn't decrease but, in fact, increased. However, these aspects of ballet no longer seemed like impossible mountains to climb, but simply tasks that needed time and patience to conquer.
Ballet has not only given me graceful movement and a beautiful figure, but has taught me how to deal with life and achieve my goals. Struggling during the first years of learning ballet gave me strength and understanding as a person and I am more mature from the experience. I will be forever grateful for the experience of learning ballet because through that art, I am now strong in mind, strong in body, and strong in spirit.
Because I want to use different essays according to different colleges in order to cater to the requirements and fondness of them.
Thank you for reading and giving me some suggestions.^^
I choose the first topic--Evaluate a significant experience you have faced and its impact on you.
I never had a natural skill at dance but one day, like coming down from the heaven above, The Royal Ballet came to give a performance of "Swan Lake" at Shenzhen Grand Theater. The special ballerina shoes, the coiling hair; everything about ballet locked my eyes onto the dancers and the performance, and from that experience, I was addicted to the world of ballet. Watching those white swans swimming blessedly in a placid lake and enjoying the warmth of the sun and coolness of the water, I excitedly pointed at those ballet dancers, exclaiming to my mother sitting next to me, "That's me!" and launching my dream right there and then.
As soon as I threw myself into the ballet, I discovered its greatest hardship: the endless pain from pressing legs and hips into unnatural shapes, pressing the instep into extreme litheness, bending down backward and so on, all of which are the essential foundational elements of a ballet class, meaning I was in constant pain. Ballet is art on tiptoes but I clearly remember the frequent scenes where my dance teacher held a stick and hit me whenever I tried to be insolent or wasn't up to her standards on a certain movement. I was always that little girl limping around after classes because of being injured from falling, being hit, or dozens of other things during a class. The initial inspiration from watching the Royal Ballet was now quickly fading and I constantly thought about quitting. Ballet became something toilsome and not attractive. Almost every night of the first year I danced ballet I would awake at night thinking about why I was suffering day after day more than my peers. I never did find a real reason for me to continue the suffering but I also didn't find a reason to quit, so I didn't quit and pressed on, working harder than anyone else.
I was then assigned to take part in the International Youth Ballet Competition held in Germany because of my previous good performance. After everyone's performance, the backstage scene was like a nightmare with girls bandage their injured feet, calling out because of painful legs, shaking like a leaf due to the great nervousness. I asked them as well as asked myself in my heart, "Why do they still insist and why should I also persist? Why go through the pain and anguish and sacrifice?" At that very moment, my question was answered, as if from a cosmic force, for I was called to go up on stage...to accept the prize as grand champion of the competition! Upon hearing that sweet and powerful announcement from the hostess, I knew I would remember that moment forever. Among thousands of competitors, I was the champion! I can still vividly recall running excitedly to the stage in great surprise to accept the golden cup prize together with a certificate written in German, which I didn't understand at all but still reading it carefully and breathlessly in front of four smiling judges. As I inched my way forward with the heavy cup, I could almost imagine it filled with all the hardships, pain, sacrifice, and work I had dealt with to get to that winning point in time. But at that very moment, I knew the dark journey was worth the bright destination.
The fantastic achievement motivated me to be persistent in reaching my goals and when in doubt, to work harder and ignore any self-doubts and to always "endure a little longer." If ever I got to the point of giving up, I could think about the dedicated girls I observed in Germany and I would become emboldened to continue whatever I was doing. With a newfound inner strength, I was able to follow my own advice and "endure a little longer" in every situation and I discovered that the more I could endure, the less intolerable a situation would be. During the process, I learned to be strict with myself and completed every movement as perfectly as possible; I learned to be not egotistical and rebellious; I learned to be no give up halfway and leave things unfinished; I learned to be responsible for my own faults and indolence; I learned to be independent, for I had to face all the difficulties as well as the injuries by myself. And finally, I learned to be eternally optimistic towards the adversities I encountered, because I realized that to "endure a little longer" was the first step in conquering any obstacle, no matter how difficult. From then on, ballet was not only a major part in my life in terms of time, but became significant to me from an emotional standpoint. I began to treat ballet as a kind of cultivation and enjoyment rather than the sore task I considered previously. The hardships in practicing were still there and degree of difficulty didn't decrease but, in fact, increased. However, these aspects of ballet no longer seemed like impossible mountains to climb, but simply tasks that needed time and patience to conquer.
Ballet has not only given me graceful movement and a beautiful figure, but has taught me how to deal with life and achieve my goals. Struggling during the first years of learning ballet gave me strength and understanding as a person and I am more mature from the experience. I will be forever grateful for the experience of learning ballet because through that art, I am now strong in mind, strong in body, and strong in spirit.
