A Passion

When I was a little girl of 3 or 4 years old, all I did was dream of dancing. I would spend hours each day flitting around the back yard imagining myself up on stage performing, certain one day I would be a star.

When I was 5 my dream felt like it was coming true when my mother took me to our local dance academy. I can't remember those first few lessons but I can imagine you couldn't wipe the smile off my face! As the years went by it became the constant thing in my life. I was doing ballet, jazz, character and my true love tap. Dancing was becoming a part of me not just a thing I did. I would tap as I talked to friends, arabesque just because I felt like it and pirouette with pure joy.

Dance was the greatest outlet I have ever had. When I was mad I would put on my music at home and tap until my legs would shake and my heart would beat out of my chest. When I felt love and joy I would do ballet with a beautiful big skirt, bedroom lamp behind me, watching as the shadow I cast danced across the wall.

It answered every need I had. It was my passion

Gene Kelly was my idol. His dancing was effortless, smooth and unique. I would spend hours learning the dances from Singing in the Rain, Take Me Out to the Ball Game &  New York New York. While everyone else was recording the top hits on the radio I was listening to jazz and cabaret music.

When I completed Year 12 I also finished up at the dance academy. 14 years ago was the last time I truly danced, and yet for 14 years I have still felt the hole within my heart, my passion.

I yearn to dance again, feel that joy, the physical fitness, to have the ability to move in any way I felt my body should when the music is beating through me.

I wish I had tried harder, I wish I had chased my dream, I wish I had found a way to keep dancing.

When my daughter started dancing it took me right back to those joyful days but she was a very nervous shy little thing back then and was always worried that everyone was looking at her, something that I thrived on as a kid. I feel like I was born with all the confidence in the world and slowly it has diminished. Erika was born with none and, to my delight, it is slowly building. Erika did ballet for 12 short months before she decided that it wasn't for her. I was gutted but understood that it was her choice.

What I have come to realise is that it wasn't about Erika doing ballet, it was about her having the chance to feel what I did, to find her true passion what ever that might be. Every child deserves to have that.

So now I wait patiently as they begin to explore their options hoping that they find their one true love.

I know after all this time I will never lose this feeling I have for dance and I am so thankful for everything it has given me. Nothing will ever compare to this feeling, this love...for dance.

Find your passion!