Felix 1

Mianni Felix

Mrs. Brandenburg

English 101 #

08 September 2020

Just Believe
When I took dance class, I wasn’t all that. I wasn’t where I wanted to be or thought I

could be. I remember that I was only two months into dance, and I was gaining flexibility I

was more on the beat I was feeling good and confident in myself. But I remember it wasn’t

all easy. There were groups based on age and those ages were divided by the level of skill.

Me being new I was in the lowest category. Which are beginners, I remember walking in

everyday the room smell of sweat and the feeling of humidity. Hearing each of your step on

the old wooden floors that they would wax every night. Room so small that only twelve

people would fit to be in the dance. Mirrors were all uneven and the bars where we would

stretch were so beat up that you would get splinters. You can smell the actual wood on your

hands and dry, hard crispy feeling of your hands. The worst part was the blisters, how huge

and irritated they would be. And that nasty, gushing puss coming out the blisters that makes

them look so big and noticeable. I would think they were warts especially after they were

popped, which fitted well with my swollen toes. It took some time getting used to. But that

was the worst of my problems everyday there was a specific group of girls who would make

fun of everyone else. The biggest rude one was Chloe who would kiss up to the couch so of

course your say anything I figured Marco wouldn’t believe me. Well right now that’s what I

needed to just relax and believe in myself.

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Today is a very important day. Today is the day I find out if I can be placed in the

higher group with the advanced class. Which was everyone's dream. Right after school I ran

off trying to get to the studio. I wrote my name in the sign in sheets and guess who was there.

Chloe she's the first one in line. Taking up five lines to write her name like the classic high

school musical actor names Sharpie, which she does seem to act like her since she thinks so

highly of herself. I have about eight more people in front of me, as I write my name down, I

see the teacher had wrote and highlighted “Only four will be chosen”. My name comes out

wonky and scribbly as if a kindergarten is just learning to write. My hands get clammy the

pencil starts slipping out of my hand. I get into the locker room to change out of my close

into some leggings and a regular sports bra. I walk into the studio room and I see everyone

stretching and talking to their own friend group, I was walking feeling as if every eyes were

on me my face turn red and I look straight down on the floor until I found an empty bar to

stretch on.

As I walk by, I hear Chloe say obnoxiously, “I’m obviously getting in, there's no way

I won't be on the team.”

I mean nothing is wrong with being confident in yourself, but Chloe was the girl who

would make fun of my jumps, then show me how it's done and once when I attempted my

first Jete which is a simple leap in the air holding a splits position. I didn’t have the right

position and my toes weren't pointed out. She would point out what she could do and if you

got the hang of it, she somehow had to prove to you how she still does it better. But there was

another girl in the studio with big beautiful curly hair. Her name is Yelena we were the only

ones who didn’t have a group of friends and I went up to her to asking if she liked to stretch

with me. The couch ended up walking in and began calling out names and splitting us into
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groups. It so happened to be that Yelena was in my group, our coach showed us a routine it

was so fun it had a mixture of ballet then a surprise of hip hop. The group I was in was sent

outside to turn that choreography into a story, so we made it somewhat lyrical with a

surprise. As everyone was taking turns showing their mix of choreography from what the

coach taught us and what we would have to create. As I sit and watch the other teams before

us, I saw a whole bunch of people who looked like they knew what they were doing. The

more I watched the more my confidence dropped. I was getting anxious my leg was shaking

but I saw groups adding flips, turns, and stunts. Yelena and I looked at each other knowing

we both are beginners, we starred at each other and nervously smiled. I see her starting to

twirl her hair and pace in place. I start biting my bottom lip. As I noticed the people in my

group are all beginners. Our group was called, of course we are last. My heart is pounding

out of my chest, I'm breathing heavily. Everyone was watching, I feel as if they are starring

into me seeing right through me, I look at myself in the mirror and feel the burning sensation

of my face turning red. People notice and I hear small laughter and I awkwardly smile. Then

it got quiet Marco press play then after that I feel my soul leaving my body the choreography

does well, as I see in the mirror Yelena and I are on count. As if we are counting the music in

our heads. Once we finished, I feel like we did well but was it the best who knows. After our

group finished, Marco took about thirty minutes to make his decision. Yelena and I held

hands its weird how one day of tryout makes me feel like I knew here my entire life. Marco

enters the room and goes on saying how he appreciated everyone who came and so on I

didn’t pay attention I was eager to know the names. The he stops and starts to call out names

I remember exactly how it went.

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“Brandon, welcome you will be our gymnast, those flips were phenomenal. Yelena,

you would be perfect for lyrical the expressions on your face were very attention grabbing,

the pain felt real. Chloe, your confidence level was amazing and exactly what you need for

stage I love how you have no fear and give it your all. Lastly but not least, Mianni you have

improved so much in such little time I believe you'll be able to show us your own things I

loved how freely you moved you really got into rhythm, it was very sharp and clean but love

how you can let go...”

That moment my head was filled with screams and excitement. I had a huge smile on

my face that could nerve get sore. I'm thrilled, feeling butterflies in my stomach. Yelena and

I looked at each hugged and did that girly squeal. Chloe gave us a look in disgust but at the

moment we didn’t care we did that. I felt as if I can do anything, my adrenaline was rushing

from my toes to my heart to the tips of my fingers. I felt way better about myself. I just really

needed to stop worrying about other people and what they think. I was doubting myself to

much and I shouldn't have done that. I let that get the best of me and having other people

sayings shouldn’t matter because it's my life not there's.

You can control what you want and can and cannot do. And knowing I can do that

still till this day it plays a role in my life. I just learned to just go for it, I was scared about

entering college not knowing what to do and listening to every family members talk about

what they are planning on doing and so on. But it's you that you need to listen to believe in

you take action, I took action and now I'm starting college. I am taking action and finally got

a new job with better pay and benefits. I went for it and you should too. It took an audition to

be placed higher for me to get to this point in my life. I have no regrets and I'm proud of how
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far I have become I am a young adult and just being able to believe. It really took me to

believe in myself as a child for me to be able to feel more courage as an adult.

I still go back and think wow If I managed to do that then how can I not manage to

complete more goals in life. I actually believe that because of that one thing I accomplished

which may seem little to others but to me it was huge, that one moment helped me build

confidence. I believe It made me more of a driven, goal setting hard working person. Ever

since then I haven't given up on anything. Like this essay was a bit of a challenge for me the

amount of times going through this essay over and over just to make sure it comes out right

not might be the best but at least I'm not giving up until I have achieved my goals. Believing

yourself can take you places and that's something I never believed in before till that day.