Palms sweating, heart racing, the sound of the crowd, the darkness of backstage, the anticipation, the excitement of my chance to pour out a lifetime of hard work, heart, and passion on a stage where there were no guaranteed outcomes. The only thing I could control were my thoughts at that moment. The lifetime of hard work and following my heart had already preceded that which had led me to this very moment. My choices: Give it all or get off the stage. I chose to leave it all out there. It was that night I was invited to be part of a team of the most talented, successful, amazing, gorgeous, down to Earth ladies I have ever known. It was that night I went from being an individual to having the honor of being part of a team. It was that summer night in 2009 I earned the name, NBA Houston Rockets Power Dancer.
I grew up competing in gymnastics, but nothing compares to dancing and performing. Performing, to me, is so much more fulfilling than competing. It is a chance to express yourself from the inside out without even talking! Haha! Imagine that. I was the shy, silent type for most of my life so that worked out well for me. Moving from somewhere deep within to express the deepest emotions one could ever experience, let alone have the ability to put into words. For me, dancing is more than a physical experience. Dancing and performing, for me, is truly a spiritual experience unlike anything else.
Dancing is also such an incredible metaphor for life. The mere act of dance itself requires one to expose themselves, to be vulnerable, to be flawed, but to still have the courage to take action, to move from somewhere and something deep within. To dance is to live your most authentic, passionate life possible. To dance does not mean you are void of fear, but to forge ahead in the face of it and conquer. To dance is to live bravely. To dance is to live with an open heart full of love. To dance is to take risks. To dance is to not always know what comes next, but to trust your innermost being that your soul won’t ever let you down. To dance is to live in freedom in its purest form. To dance is to liberate oneself from the bondage and slavery of this world.
