Songs like “Club Can’t Handle Me” by Florida, “Someone Like You” by Adele, “Stronger” by Kanye West… may just be throwback songs to you, but to me, they bring up the memories of my dance years. Hearing those songs gives me the feeling of being on stage again. Although I stopped several years ago, dance has always been a part of me.

When I was 12, the thing I loved to do most in this world was dance. That was the same age of my FA diagnosis, and when my dancing got drastically more difficult for me. I used to think that I wasn’t practicing enough. That’s the reason that makes most sense, right?

There was one moment that sticks out like a sore thumb to me: the competition team was in a room for practice, and we were separated into groups and asked to do triple-turns. I lost my balance and fell hard on the floor in front of about 50 girls or so. I never felt more embarrassed, and more instances like that started to happen. And yet I continued to dance one more year after my FA diagnosis, even though I really started to suck at it lol. Mainly because I wasn’t ready to give it all up yet- jazz, lyrical, even tap… God, I hated tap. I had to stay in order to bring myself to leave, and I’m glad I did.

Enough about my past dance days… gotta “go through the bad to get to the good.” Who says my dance days are over?!

I still love to dance, not like I used to, but I love dancing at any events or parties. It took me a while to get used to my wheels on the dance floor. I even used to search online dancing at events in a wheelchair (there’s not much out there). It was just a learning process of letting my legs chill out while I move my arms and bop my head to the beat lol. It also helps knowing lyrics so in case my arms got tired, I would sing. Well, say the lyrics. I can’t sing.

Whether it is going to a family wedding or going to a club with friends, dancing has always been my favorite part of the night. FYI being a pretty girl in a wheelchair gets me perks, sooooo I guess you can say my dance days now are really great. I do miss the way my body used to move, but I’m also very grateful I can still move it- even if it means crisscrossing my hands or waving them in weird motions. My favorite is holding someone’s hand while dancing. Just swing to the beat.

You can take the girl out of the dance but you can’t take the dance out of the girl!