Dance: Determination, Drive, Discipline, Desire

A CB dancer discusses her love and passion for her art form.

Dancers want nothing more than to be given the opportunity to express themselves. Just ask Andrea Gil (‘15), who has been dancing since she was three years old.

“I won’t stop dancing, ever,” she said. “I want people to know there is still artistic inspiration in the community. I don’t want people to forget about it.”

The ballet dancer wants to make her mark, as she feels dance deserves more appreciation and respect.

“Even in history, there’s been traditions with dancing,” the artist shared. “Dancing has been around for ages and its just never going to go away so people should learn to appreciate it more.”

In hard and stressful times, dancing is the perfect outlet.

“The feeling of dancing is to feel free, to feel release from stress. You don’t remember any of your problems,” she added.

The whole concept of dance is often misunderstood, neglected, and unappreciated. People tend not to realize how much hard work goes into the art form.

“Dance isn’t just dancing–its thinking,” Andrea articulated. “You have to memorize combinations, execute steps correctly, and think about what you’re doing and do it at the same time.”

In some ways dancing is like a relationship. There are ups and downs, the good times and the hard times. But the whole point of dancing is to make the movement seem effortless and flawless — that is what makes it so beautiful.

“You have the ability to move whichever way you want and look pretty doing it,” she added with a smile. “You look pretty, you feel pretty.”

But the story behind the movement is concealed from its audience.

“Dance is a sacrifice, but it is a sacrifice that I am 100% willing to make because I love it,” the devoted dancer said.

Dancers are constantly struggling with injuries and their bodies are pushed to the absolute max. There is continuous pressure to always work at their best and to improve. Stress reaches unbearable limits at times.

But all of this makes dancers who they are. Dancers learn to adapt and cope with the hardships because love what they do. Dancing gives people a way to express themselves that no other form of art, exercise, or sport can.

“Dance has brought me experience, discipline, power. It has brought me strength and it has brought me to tears at certain points,” Andrea said.

“But I look back at all the sacrifice that I’ve been through and I think it is the most valuable experience in my life. I don’t think I’d be who I am without dancing and I don’t think I’d be complete without being able to do something that I love,” the performer stated thoughtfully.

Dancing is an opportunity everyone should have the chance to experience. Work ethic, perfectionism, and better memorization skills all come with having dance experience.

Always striving to improve and achieve greater success, dancers are naturally hard-wired to expect the best of themselves. Progression in the dance world is all about self-motivation, and any dancer is willing to push themselves to their limits in order to become their best.

“Dance is a way to perfect your movement, to learn how to perform. It’s expressive and it’s freedom within your body,” she said.

So why not give it a shot?