This year, I joined the competition dance team at Mary Jane’s School Of Dance, where I take dance lessons every Tuesday. I’ve been dancing since I was three years old, and I am now 12. Mary Jane Leonard had asked me to join the competition team, telling me that it was a big commitment to make and that I would have to practice hard and devote my time to this. I went to bed that night feeling really excited and even though I had to think about it, right away in my head I said yes.

Our team has been practicing for a few months now. All the hard work and all the time we spent practicing our dances paid off this past weekend. This past weekend, we had our first competition of the season. I was nervous, excited and jittery all at the same time. We drove down on Saturday to Stratham, N.H. and stayed at a hotel overnight with the rest of the team. On Sunday morning, we got up early, had our hair and makeup done, and headed to Cooperative Middle School, where we performed in the large auditorium.

Dancing has always been a great experience, but I’d only performed at recitals. The moment I stepped on the stage, all the other girls who were a part of my group were moving in sync. The spotlight was shining down on us; the judges were watching us. Throughout the day, I was contemplating the results in my head. How did we do? What did the judges like about our dance? And even though I was nervous and anxious about how we did as a team, I knew that Mary Jane and the other girls apart of the group would still be there, no matter how great we did or how loud our feet were on the stage. Being on the Competition Team wasn’t just being a part of a team, but having your own support group within a dance studio. Our dance team’s results were really good, and I’m sure everyone was pleased with the results.

I’m taking this all in as an experience, and I have no regrets. I know that I went out there and performed my best! So thanks, Mary Jane, for being there for the team and being such a great dance teacher! I’m really looking forward to the other competitions and the rest of the season.