Unfiltered Beginnings: How Dance Found Me.
I remember being just nine years old, sitting in front of the TV while chaos swirled around me. My parents were arguing, the room was thick with cigarette smoke, and I was going through some of the darkest moments of my childhood. Yet, in that moment, I saw dancers on MTV, and something clicked. I told myself, "One day, that's going to be me." Not long after, I discovered Missy Elliot's "Lose Control," and I was completely captivated, trying to learn every single move. That was the beginning of my dance journey, a passion that would become my anchor through the storms of life.
As I grew older, I found myself dancing alone in my room, choreographing routines to Rihanna's early hits. Even though I felt isolated, dance was my escape and my form of expression. I even shared this love with my cousin, creating a bond that was truly special. When I joined my high school dance team, everything just clicked. I poured hours into perfecting my moves, and before I knew it, I became one of the top performers at my school. It was in these moments that I realized dance wasn’t just something I did; it was a part of who I was.
Teaching dance became another chapter in my journey. Even at 15, I found so much joy in helping my students see their own beauty and potential. Watching them grow and overcome their own struggles helped me heal, too. I saw reflections of my younger self in them—the shy ones, the ones who felt like they didn’t fit in—and I made it my mission to show them that their uniqueness was their strength. It was through teaching that I realized how much healing comes from lifting others up.
My journey hasn’t been easy, and there are still many unanswered questions about my past. My mother’s passing left a void filled with untold stories, and my father remains an unknown chapter in my life. But despite it all, I refused to let my circumstances define me. Dance taught me resilience, and it taught me empathy. Today, I carry that empathy into everything I do, always striving to see the beauty in everyone’s journey and to help others find their own strength
