Give-Up Dance Personal Statement

As I got older I realized that life is a long journey that is continuously changing, full of incidents and experiences that force us to evolve and uncover a true understanding of ourselves. Making the decision to give up dance, a passion that had once provided me happiness but then had eventually taken a toll on my mental health, was for me one of the most crucial turning points in my life and has given me a major realization about making important decisions myself. It took courage and readiness to accept change to give up dancing. I learned from it that sometimes letting go of the familiar can lead to brand new possibilities and opportunities of the future. I was able to approach life with a more adaptable and open mindset because of this

For as long as I can remember, dance was more than simply a passion for me. From my very first ballet class as a young child leading to the countless hours I spent perfecting my abilities and reaching my potential in various genres. It was a way for me to express myself and escape from the difficulties of my daily life growing up. The thrill and comfort of performing on stage became something significant to me. As I got older and continued, the demand for perfection in dancing increased. It was difficult to maintain these unrealistic expectations and the constant pressure of constantly being compared to others, starting to let dance become before school to never let my team and teachers down. What formerly served as a creative and joyful outlet now caused tension and anxiety. This passion that had once motivated me started to fade, and other aspects of my life started to suffer because of this mental strain. This was made far more difficult seeing my teammates continue to enjoy their passion with dancing, and realizing mine

Now with the absence of dance in my daily life, I explored new hobbies and found lacrosse. This was a major transformation for me. My lacrosse team provided a strong sense of connection and friendship. As opposed to being compared to and competing with one another, my team cooperated and bonded with one another to work together. This switch allowed for me to have social support, growth, and achievements. Lacrosse's physical activity, support, and opportunities for this growth and achievement make it my ideal sport for me to enhance the quality of my everyday life and mentality. I was granted the most improved player my 2nd year playing and this had motivated me to continue this journey and continue playing. I've been motivated to establish and achieve goals through this sport without the stress and anxiety I used to have. I've been able to increase both my focus and self-assurance because of it. Being introduced to this activity and continuing with it has sparked a genuine realization for me that making big decisions can have profound improvements in my life. This aided in my discovery that I shouldn't hold on to the past for the wrong reasons and that I should give myself liberty to have the control to make choices that will help me move