Dancing dancing dancing.

I would like to dedicate this post to dancing.

I started taking dance classes seriously when I was 11.  I decided to enroll in tap, jazz, and ballet to help me with musical theatre.  I enjoyed it, but never really felt confident in my ability as a "dancer".  I stopped taking dance classes when I was in high school but started to take them again when I got to college.  Barnard College has one of the best dance programs in the country.  It's a BA program meaning it is not a conservatory program and the students must take academic classes.  Many of the dancers whom take class do not major in dance and take class because they love to dance.  The dancers at Barnard are smart, fun, REALLY good, and so so talented.

I have always been a bit self conscious about dancing.  I got into it knowing I would never become a professional dancer.  But for some reason I felt that this precluded me from fully owning the fact that I loved to dance and could still perform.  I was self conscious of my skill level and it prevented me from dancing (and by dancing I mean expressing and sharing through movement rather than going through the motions) both in class and extracurricularly.  This semester, I'm dancing more than I ever have in my life: Ballet V, Ballet IV, and Modern III.  This means I'm dancing five times a week.  I love it and it's made me realize, "Hey Lauren, you ARE a dancer.  OWN IT.  You can perform.  You love it, so share it and enjoy it."  Sure, I'll never be in a professional ballet company.  But that doesn't mean I won't be able to collaborate with others to create dance works that say something to the world... or are just a load of fun.


So... being a second semester senior and realizing there were many things I still wanted to do, I auditioned for the student dance group: Orchesis.  Orchesis is great because everyone gets in.  Different pieces have different levels so all levels are showcased.  I was in a Tap piece and an African/Modern/Hip-Hop dance.  Dancing with Orchesis made me realize how much I do love to dance... and how much I need to dance after college.  It also made me realize how my own insecurities prevented me from allowing myself to embrace an aspect of myself that I love.

So don't let yourself or anyone else prevent you from doing what you love.  And mostly, we owe it to ourselves to do what we love... whether it's dancing professionally at Lincoln Center or in a studio at Barnard College.

"I don't want people who want to dance, I want people who have to dance."  -George Balanchine