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Summer Dance Intensive -Part 2-

 Last week I posted about packing and planning for a summer dance intensive that is almost 800 miles away. Today I wanted to talk about how it went. 

We arrived early Saturday evening and I immediately started getting settled in to my dorm. I met my roommate and the other girls in my small group, and we all went to dinner together and started getting to know each other. Our counselor had us all meet in her room that night to play some games before showering and getting to bed. 

The next morning we woke up and went to orientation before having some free time in the afternoon. I was assigned to take the second placement class so I got ready pretty soon after orientation. As I got ready and walked to the studios across the street, I got pretty nervous. I had never done any kind of audition so I was nervous about what it would be like and what level I would be placed in. 

The class ended up going really well and I felt good about how I had done. The hard part was that we had to wait until the next morning to find out what level we were placed in. 

. . .

I woke up early Monday morning and got ready for my first day of classes before heading to breakfast with my group. After breakfast we walked back across the campus to the studios where chapel was held. After chapel they announced that the papers with level placements were downstairs, and I quickly followed everyone else to see them. I found my name with level 9 and was so excited. I was expecting to place in level 6 or 7 of the 11 levels, so getting in level 9 was a big surprise. 

My classes were at two different locations- some of them were on the college campus we stayed at, and the others were at a different studio that we rode the bus to. We danced about 6 hours a day, and between classes we had lunch or short breaks. After classes were over each day we had dinner at the cafeteria, bible study with our group, and then we showered and got to bed. 

Our last class each day was variations, in which we learned a variation we performed at the end of the two weeks. The performance went really well- it was really neat getting to see what each level had learned. 

When we got back to the dorms after the performance, my roommate and I both fell asleep before we had finished packing and getting ready for bed. Our counselor woke us up so we could meet with our group one last time before leaving. We left the next morning and after a two-day trip, I made it back home.

. . .

I'm beyond grateful for this amazing experience, for what God did in my heart while there, and for the incredible people I got to meet. I learned so much from my teachers and they helped me improve so much in my technique. My counselor and counselor assistant really helped me feel safe and cared for while I was there since I was so far from home. And most of all, I'm so thankful for the sweet girls that were in my small group. We talked, laughed, and cried together. I was so nervous about who my roommate would be before going, but now I'm pretty sure I couldn't have had a better one. 

One day I took a long walk around the entire campus with one of the girls in my group and I pretty much poured my heart out to her. I really enjoyed that afternoon and getting to talk to her. She actually only lives a few hours from my house, so we're going to try to get together in December which I'm really looking forward to.

Our small group has a group chat so we've been able to stay in touch. We're also doing a bible study together weekly which has been really encouraging spiritually.


Romans 11:36 ESV

For from Him and through Him and to Him are all things. To Him be glory forever.


Dancing4Jesus

Psalm 149:3~ Let them praise his name with dancing. (NIV)


Contact me here: dancing4jesus20@gmail.com



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