How Ballet Dalton Changed My Life

Have you ever been a part of a discourse community that has changed your life? For me Ballet Dalton was the discourse community that changed my life. This community of dancers quickly became my extended family, mainly because they made me feel welcomed and wanted. I cannot imagine life without joining this community. Ballet Dalton was where I finally felt like I belonged. This was a community of dancers who would encouraged and helped each other reach their complete potential. Ballet Dalton is made up of two separate groups: The Junior and Senior Companies. Even though they are part of the same community, these groups have differences to them. The biggest difference is that you have to be in Junior Company before you can be in Senior
Even though I was practicing outside of the dance studio, I still felt like I was not as good as the other dancers. I was still feeling like I had to work harder than the other dancers, as well. The people that I was dancing with had been dancing since they were three; whereas, I started dancing when I was eight years old. Even though it might not seem like that big of a difference, to me it made a huge difference. In my mind the amount of time the others had already had dancing, meant they were that much better. That was something that frequently went through my mind. I felt like I was not up to the level of dance that I was supposed to be at, and that made me want to work even harder. I wanted to show these dancers that I could do it, that I could become a better
I learned the basic knowledge and terms, and I also learned the major positions that were used. During those years, I also gained new set of dance skills and talents. At the end of my years in Junior Company, I realized that the number of hours I spent on extra practice, had actually paid off. I was able to catch up to the other dancers my age, which gave me more confidence in my abilities. Because of those extra hours of practice, I was able to join Senior Company as one of the youngest dancers. It was a huge honor, and it made me realize that because of my determination, I was allowed to move on to Senior