Like all kids, I had to learn how to communicate my emotions properly as a young girl. I feel like I struggled in that area, though. I would get overwhelmed, and my feelings would come out in bouts of anger or panic attacks; but that was before I found the art of dance.
Once I discovered dancing, I was able to pour all my emotions into it. Happiness, anger, anxiety, sadness, more anger. Suddenly it all had an outlet. I would spend hours daily funneling everything I had into dancing. I knew I could turn to dance when nothing was going well, and soon everything would be alright again. Dancing was hard on my body, though. I was in constant pain in my back from the “tricks” I would perform in our routines. And don’t get me started on the shin splints. I remember waking up in the middle of the night in agony because my shins were on fire. But I was good, talented even, and it was worth it.
I continued dancing throughout college, participating in dance team, dance classes, and dance routines for my sorority. So I’m not sure when or how, but slowly and surely, I forgot about dance. I forgot about what it meant to me. I guess I became an adult with other responsibilities, and life got in the way. I forgot how fantastic dancing made me feel mentally and physically.
Then out of nowhere, when I needed it most, dance crept back into my life. I was trying so hard to keep our family active, but getting our seven-year-old to do yoga or really any type of physical activity with me was like pulling teeth. So one night, I was scrolling through Instagram and saw that a friend of mine that teaches dance at Verve Dance Company was offering free ballet classes on Zoom.
I was so nervous to reach out to her. Mainly, because it was a ballet class, and let’s be honest, I was more of a hip-hop/lyrical dancer in my prime. I took a ballet class or two, but it definitely wasn’t my forte. But I thought, “what the hell, what could it hurt to try?”
It was AMAZING! I forgot how great it felt to use every muscle in my body. I felt like a kid again, and all my memories from my dance years came flooding back. I’m sure the boys were less than thrilled with me, spouting all my stories and bragging about my high school dance team being National Champions. But I was so excited. I was reinvigorated, even. Working out had become a chore to me. It was something I dreaded and did hardly ever. But dancing is just the opposite. So stay tuned people, because dancer Bronwynn is back and she can’t be stopped.
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