Just the Beginning of Dance

by ER

The most memorable moment that changed my life was in the sixth grade at Westlake Middle School. I was just getting out of my math class and started looking for my sister in the crowded halls of W.M.S. I was thinking of all the places that she could be and asking everyone that she knew. Finally!! I ran across somebody who had spotted my sister. She was in the exact spot that I had looked before. I was very angry. I started yelling as if I was her mother. I said, “Where were you, little girl?”(Knowing that she is older than me). She started shushing me as a warning that I had to be quiet because there was a dance class going on, and knowing my bad attitude I refused to quiet down and there were consequences. The dance instructor and I got into an argument. They say that bad things happen for good reasons.

As the day went by, we had to attend an assembly to see what the after school programs had come up with midyear. Me, trying to be the bad girl, I sat there and talked amongst my friends about how bad this assembly would be, and it was- until it got to the action part of the program. There was Capoeira, African dance, Modern, and Hip-hop. All of a sudden the talking amongst my friend stopped and I got interested in Modern and Hip-hop dance (not African dance because I’ve already tried that). After the assembly they gave the students the chance to sign up for the after school program. So I did! A week after I got my paper signed I was able to join the dance class. I knew that this was my time to change.

Whooo! My first day of change. As I walked into class the dance teacher immediately noticed me, “the problem child.” She said, “Didn’t I have to put you of my class?” I slowly responded, “…Yeah.” Then she gave me a long lecture about her dance group and how they respect her and she’s never had a problem with them. It seemed like all that talking went in one ear and out the other. As time want by I got a chance to change and a chance to do a lot, until I met this girl and my old ways started to reappear. Her name was Simona, and she was my competition: the big fish to fry. We were always competing, and she knew that we both were good and we both wanted the spotlight. The biggest competition was trying to get solos. But as time went by we kind of got over it, and I started to call her Opposite (because when our instructor gave us our formations, I was always opposite to her). Even today I still argue with her, but the arguing is more like sisters arguing.

Today I still dance with the same dance instructor, and now I call her Mom. I dance with her in her dance ensemble and we are very close. Without the initial argument, I don’t think that the relationship between us would be as strong as it is now .I’m so glad that I stayed with her because we (the group and I) are doing big things. We have done big shows like parades, the ethnic dance festival, the art and soul festival and others. Now we are shooting for the best goal of all: to have our own rehearsal space and to have our own show. In my opinion, that won’t be too far from now.

I’ve really learned that first impressions aren’t the lasting impression. People who you don’t get along with at first can become your best friend or your mentor.