2/23/15

Over the weekend, I was in Chicago for a ballet competition. It was absolutely freezing, but I had an amazing time. It was really the first time I participated in a competition, but this wasn't like most; it was THE ballet competition. Most every participant trains year-round in hopes of later joining the professional world. Only four girls, including myself, from my dance studio went. We arrived on Thursday with enough time to shop a little on Michigan Avenue. On Friday, the competition began, but my age division didn't perform until Saturday. We watched some and prepared mentally for Saturday. Then on Saturday, we arrived at 3. I fixed my makeup and began warming up. I warmed up for several hours before performing on stage. It was an incredible experience. On Sunday, I took masterclasses from the judges: ballet technique, contemporary technique, and variations. My favorite was variations because that was when I was able to perform rather than perfect combinations. That evening, we celebrated as a group after receiving our scores. I was shocked by how well we did for our first time. I was two points away from qualifying for nationals in New York, which is insane considering I was one of the youngest in the senior division. Next time.