Lifelong Passion: Dance

Have you ever thought about what dance actually is or can be, or possibly even the meaning of it? Some people have different thoughts on what dance actually is. Dance is a form of art, and it’s even considered a sport. As an art form, you express your emotions and even communicate through your body movement. As a sport, it involves physical exercise, certain skill levels needed, competition, and training. There are many different styles and approaches to dance. The most common dance styles are ballet, jazz, tap, ballroom, contemporary, hip hop, and modern. Junior Tory Phillips and Sophomore Olivia Smith used to dance together at Grayce Dewitt Dance Studio. In most of their performances, they did ballet, tap, and jazz routines. They both have been doing dance since they were little. Tory loves dance because she loves to express her emotions and loves how peaceful it can be. She also plans on continuing dance her senior year, but will put it to the side when she goes to college so she can focus on her future career. Olivia, on the other hand, would love to continue dance throughout college, but she also has other things she wants to pursue. Speaking of dancing in collage, Senior Livia Campbell is going to the University of Oklahoma (OU) to continue her dancing career and plans on majoring in modern dance. Livia has been doing dance since she was three years old. She has always enjoyed the difficulty with dance and loves putting whatever emotions she has into it. “The hardest part about dance is you have to be strong and flexible. You also have to really think about what your body is doing the entire time and have to drive to keep working.” Livia plans on doing dance as long as her body will let her. After college, her goal is to audition for Modern companies. Whether it’s a lifelong passion or a temporary escape, dance continues to shape the lives of people–on stage, in studio, and beyond.