“To dance is to give oneself up to the rhythms of all life” -Dr. MAYA V. PATEL
My love for dance truly started when I was in the eighth grade. I have danced since I was 18 months old, but I never really understood how important dance was to me until then. I tried many other sports… swimming, soccer, Tae Kwon Do… but when it came down to it I always went back to dance. I had just started dancing at Dance Arts of Bowling Green and their students were much stronger than I was. They had amazing training and I knew I wanted to be able to dance like them. I was in “level 4” and my two best friends were in “level 5.” That gave me the jumpstart I needed to really get serious about my own education. I have never wanted to be anything other than a performer and I knew I was going to have to work really hard to make my dreams become a reality.
With a big push from my dance educators at Dance Arts, my training with SOKY Dance Ensemble, and the abundance of support around me, I am now studying in New York City at The Institute for American Musical Theatre. However, my home at Dance Arts still remains and I am able to come back to visit and participate in classes.
My favorite thing to do when I come back to my home studio is to take classes with our younger groups. The kids in our program are some of the most focused and driven dancers I have ever been privileged to dance with. SOKY Dance Ensemble’s youngest group, ages 8-12, are very well trained and goal-oriented. Dressed in their uniforms, classic pink tights and a pink leotard embroidered with the SOKYDE emblem, the girls exemplify excellent classroom etiquette, teamwork and ever-growing professional character.
Being in class among those young students who are now striving for success and pushing their own limits, I am reminded of where I came from. A phrase we hear often in the dance world is “back to the basics.” It never hurts to review your basic skills and refine your technique – dancing with the Pink SOKY level makes it ring true that is also good to get back to your roots. Each person, whether you are a dancer or an athlete or a teacher, can benefit from looking back to the beginning. It is humbling, it is refreshing, and it fills me with even more love for this art.
-by Gabrielle LariosAbout the author: Gabrielle Larios is an alumnus of Dance Arts of Bowling Green and SOKY Dance Ensemble. She currently studies in New York City at The Institute for American Musical Theatre.
