Unpack your memories of dance…

I still have my first pair of dance shoes -
pink and petite, with laces untied. I can still recall my first tutu, white and
fluffy, decorated with ribbon and lace. And when I close my eyes, I can still smell
the aroma of lipstick, hairspray, and powder overtaking the dressing room just
before we took the stage.

"Break a leg!" my mother would say, and even
though I didn't understand what that meant, I knew it was for good luck.

I clearly remember waiting off-stage just
before my performance. I counted the seconds with each thump of my nervous and
excited heart. I would repeat the dances over and over in my head, just to make
sure I wouldn't forget.

Deep breath. Last stretch. Then, it was time.

The moment we had all been practicing,
sweating, perfecting, analyzing, and getting ready for. The two minutes and
fifty seconds dancing on stage that you work thirty weeks and countless hours
for. And those 170 seconds make it all worthwhile because they are the best 170
seconds you have ever experienced. You feel empowered, liberated, energized.

As you exit stage left, you can't help but
smile. You are proud. And your first thought: "I can't wait to do it again."

So, again and again, it went. Many stages,
many dances, many smiles, many tears.

I have since packed away the dance shoes, the
tutu, the lipstick, the hairspray and the powder, but I have not, and will
never pack away the admiration I have for dance.

If you have ever been a dancer, I know you
feel the same. Join in the conversation by talking back! Write your favorite
dance memory by commenting below! I look forward to hearing your stories.

Allyson Taubenheim
Marketing Intern and U of M Student