My mother enrolled me in my first dance class when I was two, almost three years old. Six months later when recital day came, I wore a sparkly red dress and danced to "Stupid Cupid" and "My Boyfriends Back". I'm not sure my mom knew it at the time, but she had just done the best, but perhaps the most expensive thing she had ever done, because I was hooked on dance. Within those 15 years, I spent countless hours at my studio, drove hundreds of miles to compete in competitions, and spent thousands of dollars on classes, costumes and hotel rooms.

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I learned so much in my 15 years of dance. Dancing with older girls, I grew up quicker than most. I realized my fears and discovered my confidence, and I met some of my best friends and mentors (Thank you, All That Dance, Inc.)

 

I wanted to pay tribute to all the lessons I learned from dance, so in 2016 I dug through every old piece of film that was collecting dust in my basement and I compiled the videos together to show my growth and development from childhood to adulthood.

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Best of all, I found a script by the Pennsylvania Regional Ballet company called Confessions of a Former Dance Mom. It sums up all of the lessons I learned throughout my dance career and credits my mom's decision to enroll me in my first dance class. 

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I hope you enjoy this video as much as I do. (I cry every time I watch it!)