Dancing has always taken up a huge chunk of my life for as long as I can remember. Since the ripe age of two, I have practiced for an unworldly amount of hours, have attended numerous competitions, and have attained scholarships from a few competitions. Knowing that I dedicate my life to dancing you would think I would enjoy it right? Wrong. Although I had a passion for dancing for years, I was never joyful practicing at certain studios because of drama between other dancers or their mothers. I was afraid I was losing my passion for dancing and was contemplating quitting dancing for good since it never brought me joy anymore. However, things finally changed when I decided to take a single class at Loren Fenerty’s Dance Factory on July 18th, 2018.

I remember this day like it was yesterday; my sister had her heart set on taking this class but she didn’t know anyone else that would be taking it so my mom forced me to go. “You know I’m quitting dancing, Mom, what’s the point of even going.” I argued, “Hayden is twelve and will be fine dancing on her own.” Although I argued and begged not to go, my mom forced me to not only drive my sister to this random class at LFDF, but also take it with her! I was not happy. We arrived at the studio and were overwhelmingly welcomed with open arms by the teachers, students, and parents who didn’t even know us. After taking what was probably one of the best classes I’d have taken in years, I talked to my parents and my sister when I arrived home about maybe kinda sorta wanting to try out for the Performer’s Edge team at this studio. My sister was ecstatic and we decided to enroll in the conditioning classes that were required to try out for the team in August. Auditions rolled around, and it almost felt like we were walking on cloud nine when we saw the paper that we had both made the Performer’s Edge team at Loren Fenerty’s Dance Factory.

Now I know this sounds exciting, but I was extremely nervous that, like my studios in the past, everyone would be nice to us in the beginning but turn against us as the weeks went by. As my sister and I started taking our first real classes at LFDF and started learning the new competition dances for the season, we both agreed we had never felt so joyful and passionate about dancing before. In the past, my sister and I dreaded every class because we knew to go to class meant more drama for us to deal with later on. At LFDF, we are always looking forward to going to practice and cleaning our competition dances because this new studio radiates so much love that it brings me joy to even be there dancing with these students and taking classes from these teachers. Since day one, my sister and I were told that dancing should be an outlet that brings you joy when your day has been the worst. We never truly experienced the joy in dancing until we arrived at this new studio and I am forever grateful for my mom forcing me to go to that one class in July or else I’d never know what was waiting ahead for me.

Although my joy for dancing seemed to die after all the drama I encountered at my old studio, the passion I had was the only thing pushing me internally to think about trying out a new studio instead of quitting altogether. The joy that my sister and I feel after coming home from every class is indescribable; it was a whole new feeling to both be passionate about dancing and to feel joyful going to practice in such a loving environment. Changing studios has brought a whole new perspective on how I look at my fellow dancers on the team because it has shown me that I can open up to the other dancers and not be worried that drama might start throughout the team because I am new. This new studio has also changed my outlook on taking classes because now that I actually feel joy whenever I am taking class, I never stare at the clock to count down the minutes and seconds I have left until I can leave. This one spur of the moment idea to take the class with my sister has brought an immense amount of joy in my life and has not only revived but intensified the passion I once had for dancing, which makes me forever grateful for being forced to take that class on that day in July of 2018 at Loren Fenerty’s Dance Factory.