Emily Schnitzer

Mrs. Prendergast

WOC

May 10, 2022

I believe dance is the best therapy.

Life can stress everybody out. That is why dance has been so good for me. I have been

dancing for as long as I can remember. It has always been my hobby and the thing that I have

done all of my life. Throughout the years I have danced more and more and have been exposed

to all different styles. They all have been fun for me, but my favorite has to be contemporary jazz

or just jazz in general.

One rainy Wednesday in middle school I was having a bad day. I was stressed out about

school and tests I had the next day, since I was out sick the week before. I really didn’t feel like

going to my dance class for two hours, when I could be finishing my homework and studying for

my tests. My mom of course told me that I have to go since I made a commitment and that I will

have time to finish everything later. I didn’t want to believe her or listen to what she said, but I

went to dance anyway.

I got to class and my teacher greeted me with a smile that made me smile. We started off

our warm up which always was fun for me since I loved the songs she'd play. We started

warming up and dancing and I soon told myself to just let go, have fun, and forget about

everything else. After our warm up, my teacher taught us a quick and really fun jazz combo.
Once we knew the combo well, my teacher then turned off the lights and left the LED lights on

in the studio. As soon as I started dancing with my group I had the biggest smile on my face and

loved the combo. I danced my heart out and my teacher and friends definitely noticed. Them

cheering me on, the music, and just dancing made me forget about everything else in the world.

The two hours went by so fast and we were already done with class. I was already in such a

better mood and didn’t want to leave.

After class I got into the car with my mom and she asked how my class went. I told her

how fun it was and she was so happy to say “I told you so.” When I got home I was able to get

all of my homework done and study for my tests. I got to school the next day and thankfully did

really well on all of my tests.

From that point on in my life, I have realized why I have loved dancing all of my life. I

realized it can make me happy even on the worst days. Dance has allowed me to always take a

deep breath and just let go of my feelings through dance. This has allowed me to do well in my

dance recitals and competitions. In the future I plan on continuing dancing through high school,

and joining a dance team in college.

I think that doing what you love allows you to be creative and have fun. I believe this is

the best therapy for someone because they are able to just let go of everything else in the world.

Overall, whether it is dance or a different sport, I believe that a person’s passion is their best

therapy