Today I took my final Final (haha), which means my first semester of college is officially done! But wait...Emma...aren't you in high school? Yes! And college. At the same time. What??? How's that work??? Allow me to explain!
I'm duel enrolled in high school and college, which means I'm technically a high school senior, but I take all of my classes on campus at a University. The best part of this is that I get to start taking classes specific to my interests and goals which means...Dance classes!! In addition to some General Education and Business courses, I get to take Ballet, Modern, and other styles alongside the current Dance Majors.
I've been studying dance at the same studio since I was little, so switching to a completely new environment with different teachers and classmates was a huge change. I was intimidated at first, especially since I'm not a "real" college student, but my feelings of apprehension disappeared shortly after the first week. There is a special bond that Dance Majors seem to share and we all grew close quickly. I have come to find that there are many great benefits of collegiate dance, and this bond is one of them. College can be a scary time and having such a great group of people that you share a passion with is a huge advantage.
Another thing I have come to love about collegiate dance is how much creativity and individuality are encouraged. I have a strong technical training background, but this year I have really begun to experiment with my artistry and explore who I am as an artist, dancer, and individual. I have been challenged to figure out what makes me unique and build on that. I am surrounded by other people doing the same, which is what I believe allows us all to flourish.
Another one of my favorite parts of dancing in college is empty studios. These are the biggest facilitator of creativity. There are many days when my friends will approach me and say "Can I try this on you?" or "Hey I'm just messing around with some choreography, wanna try it?" and we go into a studio and just experiment for hours. I've learnt that surrounding yourself with passionate people is key. It is so inspiring and encouraging to have a group of people chasing the same thing you are and cheering each other on.
Thank you for reading my post! If you have any questions or want to get in touch with me please email me at enpointewithemma@gmail.com or go to my CONTACT page. Please use these same methods to contact me if you are interested in writing a guest post for me or would like me to write a piece for you. Please check out my other posts if you are interested in learning about my journey, and the journey of others, through dance!