How College Dance Training Made Me a Unique Professional

 DURING UNDERGRAD I REMEMBER READING AN ARTICLE THAT HIGHLIGHTED THE CONS OF DANCERS WHO JOIN THE PROFESSIONAL WORLD AFTER UNDERGRADUATE DANCE STUDIES.THE MAIN IDEA SURROUNDED THE LACK OF EXPERIENCE AND INABILITY FOR DANCERS TO ADAPT TO THE LIFE OF A PROFESSIONAL ARTIST. UPON ENTERING MY COLLEGIATE DANCE PROGRAM, ALTHOUGH I WAS BRINGING A SOLID TECHNICAL FOUNDATION, UNDERSTANDING OF PROFESSIONALISM AND A RESPECT FOR MY CRAFT, MY GREATEST POSSESSION WAS MY UNDYING PASSION. THROUGHOUT COLLEGE I EXPERIENCED BEING RIDICULED FOR MY FOCUS, INTENTIONALITY AND LEADERSHIP. ALTHOUGH THIS TREATMENT DID NOT COME FROM EVERYONE IT BECAME A DRIVING FORCE FOR ME TO CONTINUE PURSUING MY STUDIES WITH INTENSITY, FORETHOUGHT AND EXCELLENCE. I KNEW THERE WAS SOMETHING TO MY PEER CHALLENGES. SOME MOMENTS WERE TOUGHER THAN OTHERS BUT I KEPT MY EYES AHEAD. I REMAINED FOCUSED ON MY DREAMS. I KNEW WHAT I WANTED TO ACCOMPLISH IN MY CAREER AND DECIDED TO ALLOW MY TRAINING WITHIN THE DANCE PROGRAM AND ITS ACADEMIA TO WORK FOR ME. I KNOW BOTH THE PRESSURES AND EXCITEMENT THAT CAN COME WHILE TRAINING TO BE A PROFESSIONAL DANCER IN A COLLEGE/UNIVERSITY SETTING. AT TIMES YOU HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN CAMPUS FUN AND BUCKLING DOWN. FOR ME, THE TRAINING DIDN’T STOP WHEN I LEFT THE STUDIO OR THE STAGE. I SUBMERGED MYSELF IN THE CRAFT AND KEPT NOT ONLY MY GOALS BEFORE ME BUT MY ACTIONS. I LEARNED TO CARRY MYSELF THE WAY I SAW MYSELF, BECOMING A REFLECTION OF MY FUTURE ENDEAVORS, CIRCLES, COMPANIES AND OPPORTUNITIES. I WANTED TO GAIN MORE THAN GREAT TECHNIQUE. I WANTED BUILDING BLOCKS FOR ME TO WALK IN GREATER PROFESSIONALISM, BEAUTY AND LONGEVITY OF CAREER. I APPROACHED MY COLLEGE DAYS AS A DANCE MAJOR AS IF I WAS A HIGHLY SOUGHT OUT DANCE LEGEND. THE MORE I LEARNED IN DANCE ACADEMIA, THE MORE I SAW MY DREAMS AS A REALITY. IT IS ONE THING TO GRADUATE FROM COLLEGE AND GO ON TO A COMPANY OR PROJECT JUST TO DANCE. IT IS ANOTHER THING TO BUILD A PROFESSIONAL NETWORK, HAVE A GREAT REPUTATION PRECEDE YOU AND HAVE AMAZING OPPORTUNITIES OFFERED TO YOU DURING THOSE COLLEGE YEARS AND MOST CERTAINLY BEYOND. THE OVERALL FOCUSES OF THAT ARTICLE I MENTIONED, IT STIPULATING THE CLEAR DISCONNECT OF A COLLEGE-TRAINED DANCER CROSSING OVER INTO THE PRO-LEVEL, HAVING LITTLE TO NO EXPERIENCE, IS THE VERY THING I WAS ABLE TO HONE IN ON AND OVERCOME. THIS IS TO BRAG STRICTLY ON MY GOD. EVERY SINGLE PLACE I HAVE GONE AND WITH EVERYTHING I HAVE DONE THUS FAR, PEOPLE WANT TO KNOW WHERE I HAVE TRAINED AS THEY WAIT FOR ME TO NAME A WELL-KNOWN, HIGHLY PRESTIGIOUS CONSERVATORY OR PRE-PROFESSIONAL PROGRAM. I RECEIVED AMAZING TRAINING AT ALABAMA STAYE UNIVERSITY. THAT UNDERGRADUATE PROGRAM WAS A HUGE BLESSING TO ME. YOU CAN DO ANYTHING. THERE ARE NO LIMITS!.