Dancing to me isn’t only a hobby, it’ my life. I eat, breathe, and sleep dance. I have been dancing since I was two years old. I joined a competition team when I was only eight years old. I have danced for two hours every other day, and on Saturday’s I have competitions to go to. I plan to dance for as long as I can because it is the only thing that I genuinely love to do. Everyone has that one thing that they are really good at, and mine is dancing.

When I’m dancing on stage I feel like the only person there. I will never change the way I feel about dance. Some people say that dancing isn’t a sport. In some ways I can understand but it’s their opinion. I feel that dance is definitely a sport because you compete with other teams at what you’re best at, and try to win. If people say it’s not a sport I just say, “don’t even start,” and walk away because wouldn’t it make you mad if someone went up to you and said that what you play isn’t a sport. All I can say is that dancing will be apart of my life forever. Without dance I wouldn’t have the confidence that I have now.

~Olivia Valente