Light music starts from the piano. Girls line up by the bar facing the mirror. Slowly their arms lift in the air and their legs stretch outwards. They slowly disperse away from the bar into the middle of the room. As the music gets louder the dancers jump and twirl, their bodies moving swiftly. The teacher yells out instructions as the leaps and twirls get faster and faster. Ninth grader Dorothy Jennet is one of these many dancers. From doing dance since she was young, Dorothy has seen her confidence, skill and dedication improve.
Natural sound of music from class, instructor’s voice in the background
Ninth grader Dorothy Jennett has been dancing since she was 2 years old. Her first dance studio, Gus Giordano’s, taught her many forms of dance, including hip hop, contemporary and ballet.
Dorothy: “I do jazz, contemporary, hip hop, ballet, modern, pop, and I used to do character and tap as well.”
She is thankful that Gus Giordano’s taught her all these different forms of dance because it allowed her to experience and try out many different types of dance and find the ones she enjoys.
Dorothy: “I am really grateful for the dance education I got there. They taught all genres and it made me a versatile dancer.”
Her passion for dance not only comes from herself but from her family as well.
Dorothy: “My mom was a dancer. A lot of my family members have been dancers in the past.”
Dorothy is grateful that her mom introduced her to dance at an early age so that she could develop her love for dance.
Dorothy: “My mom thought she would get me into it early, so that I could try it out, and I’ve always loved it.”
Dorothy enjoys dancing because it allows her to express herself through action instead of words.
Dorothy: “I enjoy dancing because it makes me feel powerful and beautiful in the way I express myself. Dance is really expressive.”
On stage she feels different and enjoys that feeling, her confidence is greater and she is able to truly let go and express herself through her body.
Dorothy: “I’ve always loved performing on stage and I think it’s a very good skill to have, to be able to perform in front of an audience, and it’s something that I’ve always loved, so I’m confident in that regard.”
When she was younger, she felt unsure of herself at her performances, but as she got older she got better through skill and has realized that it is OK to make mistakes.
Dorothy: “I’ve grown to realize that it’s OK to make mistakes and to look ridiculous and that’s how you can be better and how you improve.”
Dance has given Dorothy a chance to take more risks and to be more bold when it comes to improving her performances.
Dorothy: “There was a point when I was younger where I realized I wanted to practice my dances. I wanted to practice at home and take as many classes as I could to get better and improve my technique. and since that point I have pushed myself to take risks and be bolder.”
Additionally Dorothy has learned to develop a structure of going to class regularly and committing time toward practice to get better at technique and skill and to be happy with the end result.
Dorothy: “It’s good for me to have a structure, and stay consistent throughout the week because you see yourself improving and it’s fun to see yourself get better and learn new things.”
Dorothy plans on doing dance in the future and is ready to keep going with her dance journey through high school as well as all the way to college.
Dorothy : “It’s a journey. Dance is a journey that I am on and I can’t wait to continue.”
This is Imani Qureshi reporting for the U-High Midway.
