Paper #1

Jessica Batiz
English-101
10/14/2010


I have many strengths that will help me accomplish my main goal to becoming a professional dancer. In this essay I will speak about the many strengths that have made me who I am today and that will help me be successful in the future. These strengths that have helped me along the way include my background, my independence, my experience, my creativity, and my determination. These strengths had molded me and will indeed help me make it.

I have been dancing since the age of three. Dance was brought into my life by my older sister. After she opened my eyes to dance it was all I wanted to do. I danced all day and all night. So I then decided to get involved in some dance classes to learn different types and styles of dance. While in dancing school I took tap class, African class, and modern class. I was so excited to learn different dance moves and test my abilities. When i was not in dancing school i was at my community center in Harlem on a hip-hop dance team. I could not stop dancing. It made me feel so happy and free. I am so thankful for my sister with out her I would have never known about dance or my talent.

Another strength I have is independence. As a kid I was involved in many shows and events. My mom was not the involved mother. She never really supported me in anything I did. There were many times when I went to shows and performed without her being there. At first I would feel bad because everyone else parents were there no matter what, but I had to grow up. So I told myself that her being there wasn’t really important. I began to tell myself that as long I was going what I loved who cares if she was there or not. So from then on I began to go to practice on my own and to the shows alone. If I was not independent my mother would have held me back from chancing my dreams. I have always wanted my mother to be apart of my success, but since she didn’t make the effort I had to do what was right for me.

My experience has also helped me get where I am today. I have been given many opportunities that I have taken advantage of. I have performed at the Apollo Theater, I have participated in the African American Day Parade, I have performed in many talent shows, and i have performed at the Alvin Ailey dance show. These experience have made me better in dance and my confidence. Performing at both the Apollo Theater and the Alvin Ailey dance show were the most inspirational experiences. I danced at The Alvin Ailey dance show when I was only in the fifth grade. I was chosen to dance on stage and after I danced they asked if I wanted to dance for their company. They really saw something in me. Unfortunately my mother turned them down because she thought I was too young. Performing at the Apollo made such a difference in my life. After this experience it made me take dance more seriously and helped me get better. My team and I won the first night, but then lost the second night. When we lost I didn’t cry because I took it as we needed to work a little harder. Experience is something taken very seriously in the professional world of dance and I am so proud that I have some great experiences under my belt.

I am a very creative person. I like to think out the box. I have been chosen to choreograph two plays and take on the role of captain of all of my dance teams. I was chosen because of my creativity. When it comes to dancing my mind goes to so many places. I was surprised to b recognized for my creativity because as Ken Robinson stated in his video “ Academic topics are put on top of the arts everywhere.” I believe that this statement is so true, but I just can’t understand why. I am the type of person that learns better when I use my creativity. If I feel like I can’t express myself I really can’t put my all into whatever it is I am doing. My creativity has made me who I am and will definitely be a major strength that will get me where I’m going.

The last strength I have that will lead me to success is determination. Determination is a hard strength to have and also keep. In order to success in anything in this world people have to be determined. I look at my self as a go getter. If I see something that I want I will stop at nothing to get what it is I want. After my mother turned her back on me I had no choice but to be determined. Determination is nothing something that just pops up in someones way of life it has to come from within. An example of when I was determined to do something was when I wanted to have my step team perform at other catholic schools. So I went and talked to all the schools I thought would be interested and welcoming to my team. So I decided to contact Cardinal Hayes a all boys catholic school. At first the principal did not agree because I attended an all girls school. After I sat down with the principal and my dean we came to an agreement. My team were then given the chance to perform for Cardinal Hayes at an open mic night. After the open mic night they asked us back for basketballs games. If I was not determined I would have taken no for an answer, but instead I did whatever I had to do to make things happen. Because I was so determined my school now performs regularly for Cardinal Hayes High School. Determination is a hard strength to no only have but to maintain. I am so proud that I was blessed with the strength and the power to maintain it as well.

During this essay I have shown you the different strengths I have and that have helped me get to where I am today. My background, my independence, my experiences, my creativity, and my determination are all I have and need to make it. I am so proud of my strengths and proud of them. I can’t wait to see where my strengths will lead me in the future, but I know they will lead me to greatness.