Worth the Work

 "I said, 'Remember this moment', in the back of my mind. The time we stood with our shaking hands, the crowds in stands went wild. We were the kings and queens, and they read off our names. The night you danced like we knew our lives would never be the same."

- Long Live by Taylor Swift

 

     It all started with an audition in May, and before I knew it I was flying back to Nashville in the middle of July for 10 days of dance camp- 10 very intense days. We were practicing in Nashville at first at our coach's studio, and from the get go I realized that this team was going to really push me, physically, mentally, even emotionally. In order to prepare for the season we needed to pack in essentially the whole season's worth of choreography into the next 10 days, condition, and compete at an NDA camp in Kentucky.
            I'm not going to sugarcoat it- those 10 days were probably the most exhausting, toughest, trying 10 days of my life. From running outside in 110 degree weather (complete with humidity that a northerner like me simply is NOT used to), to waking up at 6 and practicing until 2am when at NDA camp in order to perfect the routines we would be competing, it was insane. I was pushed to my limit- trying to remember all of the million routines, trying to get all my technique down, trying to make friends on this new team of girls, trying to adjust to the South in general...there were several moments where I thought to myself, for the first time I think I have ever thought this to myself, "I don't know if I can do this.". I wasn't used to my new coach's coaching style- it was really hard for me at first to take the abundant critiques and adjust to expectations of perfection from us as a team. Excuses, I came to see, weren't really an option here. We were held late until we each erased mistakes. Pushed past the point we thought we could perform at. 
        But you know what? I got through it. We all did, and we emerged as a stronger, better team. I remember sitting on the basketball gym floor at the University of Louisville in Kentucky where camp was after we had just performed our two numbers that we had worked ourselves crazy for. I was tired, stressed, hungry, hot... and then I heard our team get announced as the winner of our Game Day Jazz division- which was huge! We all felt so elated in that moment. And even more so in the moment when we found out we scored a silver bid to Nationals in Daytona Beach, Florida (this means that the organization is paying for most of our costs). For a newer team like ours, this wasn't exactly expected. It was definitely a hope, and in that moment the hard work all became worth it. All of the sweat, bruises, blood (but actually), and tears paid off- and I had never felt prouder to be a part of a team.

        School at Vandy has now started, and I must say, dance has only gotten better. I now see that our Coach pushes us so hard because she can see our potential and simply wants us to get there- and it works. I have so much respect for her and our team for the amount of dedication it takes to put in that kind of effort, even if it isn't always fun. But you know what is fun? Performing at SEC football games. I thought winning at camp was great, but it is NOTHING compared to football games!
       This past Saturday we had our second game against UConn and it was especially fun. Everywhere we go when doing pep rallies the fans seemed to excited to see us and we were constantly greeted with compliments or gratefulness for our performances. So many little girls came up to us asking for pictures and telling us they looked up to us- it was so cute and gave me the funniest feeling because I can still remember being that little and wanting to be a dancer and wishing for the very moment I was now in. Getting to do what I love and see the happiness it brings others is such an amazing feeling. And then there is Star Walk... it. is. awesome. We line the tunnel leading to the stadium where the football players go through along with the cheerleaders, marching band, and fans, and the atmosphere is bursting with school pride, amped up energy, and noise. I love it- I have never seen people this excited about football and getting to stand right there as the players run through makes me feel 1) like a midget, and 2) so pumped up just seeing them yell and shout and do all their manly pre-game pushing each other around  type things.
           The game itself? Incredible. I don't know if any of you reading this have been to a football game in the South, but getting to stand on the field and watch the action itself is a cool experience. Add cheering for the full body painted students, dancing on the sidelines and stirring up excitement in the stands (the good kind I mean, like cute little kids waving and people clapping- the old men creepily snapping pictures is REALLY gross), and then feeling the energy of a whole stadium as you step onto that green field and perform a routine, making it on ESPN- man, it's like nothing else. It was so worth every one of those moments when I doubted it would be. Being a part of this team makes me feel so connected to Vanderbilt- I don't think I have ever had more school pride or spirit. Every time something good happens for the team my heart jumps like its Christmas and I'm five again, when something goes wrong my heart breaks, and when we walk away with a win and stand at the end singing the alma mater with the team... that is the best feeling. It's hard to explain that moment unless you are a part of it, but that is the moment when I feel so grateful and so happy to be living the life I'm living.
And I would do it all over again, just for that.