Whether it’s turning, jumping, on pointe or in tap shoes, I’m always working on my technique, constantly improving to become the best version of myself. 

My love for dance is unexplainable. When I’m not in school, I’m in the studio practicing and taking classes. 

Somewhere along the 11 years I have been dancing, I realized dance is the love of my life. It’s the one thing that defines me as a person. 

But I’ll never forget the first time I sprained my ankle and had to stop dancing. The doctors told me not to worry, that it would be temporary, but it was only the beginning of a painful journey.

Here we are, four years later, with yet another sprained ankle. Only this time it was adding to the instability in my ankle and wouldn’t be as temporary. I waited weeks and weeks for my ankle to heal and almost considered just dancing through the pain. Not being able to dance was destroying me. Without dance, who was I? I realized I had let this one simple activity define me. Is there more to me or am I forever just going to be Ava the dancer? 

Realizing that I wasn’t going to be dancing anytime soon, I needed to find something to distract me. At least until I healed. 

But trying new things has never been an easy task for me. I live in my comfort zone. However, moping around all day was no longer an option, so I tried teaching dance. It’s close enough to actual dancing while also allowing my injury to heal. 

And when I tried it, it just felt right. Introducing new and bright minds to the world of dance was letting young kids into my world. It definitely didn’t bring me the same joy that dance always has, but it was still fulfilling and allowed me to grow in my willingness to try new things.

I know I didn’t take huge steps out of my comfort zone but I tried something new, and for that I am proud of myself. One step at a time, baby steps. If I was able to take a few small steps out of my comfort zone this time, who knows what I can accomplish next time. 

 I’m not saying that you need to abandon your passions and branch completely outside of your comfort zone. I’m simply stating that a single step will increase your chances of going further out each time. I do not want my whole life to be defined by one single activity. What happens when that one thing eventually goes away, then what? This is why I am thankful for this experience in some ways: I have now broadened my skill diversity in a positive way.