Ellie Week 1: Going Back to Dance

 This week I went back to dance in the actual studio for the first time since we went into lockdown. Actually, over the summer I went into the studio once for a contemporary class, but my mom said it wasn’t safe enough and didn’t let me go back. It didn't really count because I only went to 1 class and I usually have 3-4 a night. I had been doing dance online through various pre-filmed videos and zoom sessions, but something about it had always felt off. I started to lose my passion for dance. I would dread going into my classes on zoom, when I was actually in it I couldn’t wait for the class to end, and was relieved once it was. I had never felt this way about dance before and it was really scary. It was something I used to thoroughly enjoy and I would look forward to it after school. Now I avoided it as much as I could. Some of my other friends had already started to go back into the studio and wore masks and they seemed to love it. I couldn’t see myself actually enjoying it once I went back. My favorite part of dance was when we learn our new dances every year and got to perform them. At the time, that wasn’t happening. (Now our competition season is actually starting, but we didn’t find that out until a few days ago.) I was supposed to not go back to dance until the holidays were over, but eventually, my parents gave in and let me go. To say the least, it was a breakthrough. I got to see, not hug (but that’s ok), my friends for the first time in months! I actually had space to move and go full out, unlike my brother’s old bedroom. I truly thought I would never enjoy dance again, but I begged my parents everyday of the week to let me go another day. I was tired, sore, and overall just exhausted, but nothing compared to that feeling of actually finding your passion again. Hopefully, I feel the same way once we go back to school in person. What do you think, do you like online or in-person better?