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            The Most Talented Non-Finalist is contestant number 18, Mary Austin Hacker, teacher Diana Evans Pulliam. Those were the words that I heard as I stood on stage during awards for the Miss Dance of Ohio 2013 scholarship competition. I started dancing at Gotta Dance when I was three because my mom put me in a class with a couple other girls that I had gone to school with and I then moved to Diana Evans School of Dance when I was five. I have not been competing since I was five; I auditioned for the Advanced Placement program when I was 8. Diana, my teacher, often jokes about dance not being just an art form but a way of life. Dance is not only a physically demanding activity it is also a character and self-confidence builder.

Dance, as with sports and many other activities is physically demanding, and requires practice. I dance every Monday and Wednesday for 3 and half to four hours, every Tuesday I teach for an hour and half and then take an hour and a half Pointe class, Fridays I take a two-hour class and teach for an hour and a half. Thursdays and Saturdays I do not have a scheduled class but I work on my solos for anywhere from an hour and a half to three hours. Physical activity is pivotal to a help teenagers maintain a healthy life both mind and body. According to Kids Health.org, teens should engage in an hour of physical activity everyday. Doing this will help reduce stress which is common amoung teenagers because of the pressure to do well in school, especially with the pressure to get into a good college and be successful in life. Obesity is also a tragedy in our nation that is affecting thousands of teenagers because it is way easier to sit in front of the TV for hours on end. In the article, Study: Physical activity can boost student performance by Nanci Hellmich, findings from different studies on how physical activity affects classroom performance was revealed. Recess, which many schools have cut to keep children in the classroom longer, improves attention and the ability to stay on task. Also participating in sports or clubs based on physical activity can help a students grade point average, his or her likelihood to graduate, educational goals, and his or her attachment to school. Dance may not be a sport but is a physical activity and all of the participates benefit from all the positives of engaging in a physical activity, so how is it different than just playing a sport? Well, it is more than sport.

4 times a year, I put myself along with the other 100 people from my studio that competes, on a stage to be judged. We are not judged on our facial beauty like pageants because that can ruin a child’s self esteem, but we are being judged on our talent. Most competitions give every single dance an adjudication in which every member of a group dance receives either a pin or a ribbon. Every girl or boy that got up on that stage and danced walks away with something. Some might argue that by having rankings can tear a child down, I have never seen a little girl cry at a competition because she lost because she is too busy admiring the trophy her dance was just given. I have; however, seen many people my age cry because they lost, but more time and effort has been devoted to perfecting dances to lose.  I have never seen the toddlers and tiaras tantrum moment because I honestly believe dancers are some of the most well behaved people I have ever met. A common misconception is that dancers are dumb. There are 20 people in my competition group, all of which have a b average or higher, and the majority is in a magnet program in their school. We are not dumb. I have participated in scholarship competitions for many years and they include audition classes, an interview in which the questions are not like the Miss America ones, they are to get to know the contestants better and see if they are personable, easy to talk to, and would be able to host events and if you are a intelligent person. The final portion is talent which is the contestant’s solos and I have won that now twice once in Miss and once in Teen.

Dance is not just standing on ones toes or prancing around like a reindeer. It benefits your health and build confidence. I dare you to take a dance class, you make hate it and fine you hate it but don’t judge or hate until you have seen that fire burning passion is a dancers eye or until you have truly experienced dance not just the little zumba class at the YMCA.