Dance has been a big part of my life for 10 years. Over the past 10 years, it has been something I can rely on when everything else in my life is falling apart. Dance has many pros and cons, but it has still been the main source of my happiness for as long as I can remember.
One of the main pros of competitive dance is the friendships you acquire over the years. They become your ride or die, your go-tos, the ones you can trust at the end of the day. Even though the long school days and being completely exhausted, they make practice exciting to be at. As a freshman and one of the youngest on my team, I’ve had to watch all my friends slowly move on from dance to fulfill their dreams, which has been one of the saddest experiences of dancing. Yes, I’m so excited to see them achieve their dreams and become who they want to be, but growing up with them through dance, to them not being at practice the next week is something they don’t prepare you for. Even though it can be sad, they become your best friends and even sometimes feel like your sisters. Another pro is having strong discipline. Competitive dance requires constant practice, focus, and dedication, which teaches dancers how to stay committed even when they feel tired and/or unmotivated. Having self-discipline helps build mental strength because you learn how to set goals and to work hard to reach those goals without giving up. This discipline doesn’t just help when it comes to dance, but also in everyday life, like staying on top of schoolwork, managing your time, and handling responsibilities. Overall, strong self-discipline is an amazing benefit because it shapes you into a hardworking person who knows how to stay determined and succeed.
Dance has many cons as well, like being sore 24/7. Dancing and having practice 12+ hours a week can put such a mental toll on your body, causing constant pain throughout your body and feeling weak all the time. All the long workouts, hard technique, and going full out over and over again until your body gives up on you. Instead of the soreness going away after a workout, it becomes something you just learn to live with, which can affect your energy, mood, and even focus in school or daily life. Competitive dancers also tend to push through pain because they don’t want to fall behind, but that can lead to injuries like sprains, stress fractures, or long-term joint damage. Your feet, knees, hips, and back often take the most pressure, especially from jumps, turns, and acro tricks. Over time, being sore can make dance feel more like a physical burden than something you love. Another con to competitive dancing is the constant comparison between yourself and others. In dance, you are surrounded by talented people, and it can feel impossible not to notice who gets more compliments from coaches and judges. This comparison can slowly dim your confidence and make you feel like you are never truly good enough for your team, even when you are improving. Instead of being proud of your own progress, you start focusing on what other dancers have that you don’t, like flexibility, technique, or body type. Over time, comparing yourself to other dancers can take away the joy of dancing and replace it with stress, jealousy, and pressure to be perfect rather than simply growing at your own pace.
Through highs and lows, thick and thin, dance has been right where I left it. As if no matter how far I walk away, it will always be waiting for me to come back.