Week 12

For this week I will post the interview I got. My friend Julia trains vigorously for dance at her college. Each day she has practice and recitals along with teaching over the weekend. It affects her in a few ways which I asked her about. The red will be her answers.

How long have you been taking dance for?

I have been taking dance since I was 3. Ever since I could walk.

In what ways would you say your life differs from others due to all the training?

Along with having to miss out on family parties and hanging out with my friends, I have had some nights where I didn't sleep. I would come home at 11 then shower, eat, and spend hours on homework due to the classes I was taking. Most of my friends are from dance so when we have our time off we hangout, but I haven't had time for other activities like school sports and clubs. It is always school and dance which affected my life socially.

What challenges have you been faced with throughout your years of doing dance?

During periods in dance I had to memorize 13-14 dances at a time. Some of my challenges was staying awake at competitions and the week before my competitions where my practices were extended. Some of my instructors have pushed me to do things I never even thought I could do. Getting point and having to practice it 3 times a week left me aching every time I would walk. They take staying in shape very seriously too. We would work out our abs, legs, and arms all the time. We always had to be in shape because if you ran out of breath in a competition and got sloppy I could ruin the whole dance. We would even have to keep our bodies looking good because we have to fit into the costumes. When I was in high school I started teaching dance for the little kids at our studio which was a challenge at first. We would make their dances and made sure the kids knew it well. It wasn't always easy. Coming home after long days I would be exhausted and it affected the way I treated my family. Doing dance definitely has affected me mentally and emotionally.

Would you say being an athlete benefits you? If so, Why?

Looking back at it I could say dance has benefited me throughout the years. It kept me away from staying out of trouble. It made my focuses limited to school and dance. With school I would always do my work the very best I can because if I fall back I can't do dance for college. I have always been a good student and dance just taught me to get more engaged in what I was doing. They made me become the person I am today. I look at myself as the type of student to plan my schedule accordingly so that I can get all my work done. I focus and put 100% effort into everything I do because if the long hard hours has taught me anything it is always to give my best effort.