Nov: Who in your dance/professional life are you most thankful for and why?
I am so
blessed to have so many people throughout my life personal and professional
that I’m thankful for. I would say that
there is one person in particular that I will never forget – Ms. Jeannie. She was my very first dance teacher when I
started dancing in Garland, TX at Calico Kids.
I have never been the typical dancer and when I was young, it was no
different. Ms. Jeannie never cared about
what I looked like, she cared about how I danced. I was always a quick learner, a great
performer and always remembered the steps.
It was because of these things she always put me in front. I at a very early age dealt with other
mothers and students complain to Ms. Jeannie “why did they put the fat girl in
front”. Ms. Jeannie would reply that the
best dancer was put in front and that is why I was in front. She stood up for me and I will never forget
that. I firmly believe had I not had her
in my life, I would not do what I’m doing today. If I didn’t have her stand up for me, I
probably would have quit because of the negativity. Ms. Jeannie has had such an impact on me in
my dance journey and because of her I make sure that every child regardless of
size and ability feels special. She
inspired me to be the kind of teacher that I am today. I will not ever take for granted what an
important job I have as a dance educator.
