Daytona Here We Come! - AU Dance Team Freshman, Kelsey Y. :)

"To dance is to be out of yourself.

Larger, more beautiful, more powerful."~Agnes DeMille

I remember sitting in the cafeteria the day before tryouts. I was so scared of the type of girls I would be meeting the next day. Would they be rude? Would they laugh at me? What would they be like? Then, all of the sudden Dance Team walked by me in their black, zip-up jackets with the AU Eagle and Dance Team rhinestoned on the back. Every one around me turned heads as these confident, young women were walking into the room at the same time, laughing, sharing stories, and finding a place to sit. At that moment, I knew I wanted to be one of those girls. I wanted to share my love of dance with them.

Little would I know that 7 months later I would be on Dance Team preparing to dance on the stage at nationals in Daytona, Florida. I also did not realize that 7 months later I would have made friendships that I already know will last a lifetime. We have made strong bonds, close relationships, and created memories that we can look back on. It's important that we love and care for each other both on and off the court.

At our last basketball game we had a couple of audience members walk in and tell us that we were a stronger team than last year, and I know that we will continue to grow stronger as the years progress. We have fun with dance but at the same time we are a team who is serious about accomplishing a goal to make our performance the best it can possibly be.

Fighting through this difficult, rigorous season after completing an entire basketball season, I'm not going to lie, is tough and takes a lot of work. But the most important thing I have learned from dancing with a family who loves to dance and works just as hard beside me, is that we can get through anything together. We are never alone in this fight.

Nationals season is definitely the most difficult because we push ourselves farther than we have ever gone before. I never knew I could push myself and be such a stronger dancer, this goes for the rest of the team as well. I'm so proud to have Alex as a coach because she knows your limit, she is there to help us every step of the way and to make us better. Our captains Jac and Katie are so positive through every thing They read us one inspirational quote before every practice which helps us realize what we want most, to kick butt at nationals.

I love my team, I work hard with my team, I practice with my team, I learn with my team, and I dance with my team. There is nothing better than that.