At the end of elementary school, the studio I had danced with for the previous 5 years closed their doors in my town and was only open in a town a half hour away. I focused my athletic energy on basketball and tennis, and hung up my dancing shoes.
Then, in 9th grade, I made a very hard decision to not go out for basketball, and to join another local dance studio instead. I became a Just For Kix dancer. It was a year of transition for me - in life, friends, growing up, and finding myself. A tough year, but one where I ended up stronger as a result.
10th grade came, and I had a decision to make. Just For Kix is only a kid through junior high program - after 9th grade, the next step is to try out for the Kixters. The Kixters are the high school dance team. That meant I couldn't play tennis. I knew the right choice was dance, and I never looked back from there.
I made amazing friends in dance, and had one heck of a high school dance career. I started as a JV dancer in 10th grade, and was brought up to Varsity half way through the year. I learned and competed in both JV and Varsity dances until it was time to get ready for Sections and State. Then I was Varsity only. We went to State that year and placed well.
The next year, we went to State again, with a phenomenally fun and crowd-pleasing dance called the Can-Can.
My senior year, I got the chance to be on the team with my sister. She was a sophomore that year, and it was fun to both be a part of the same passionate team. We went to State again, and I got one more chance at feeling that amazingly thrilling and moderately terrifying feeling of stepping out on that state dance floor. Saying goodbye to dance, to my friends, and to the memories was one of the hardest parts of my high school career.
So needless to say, I love dance. It's been 6 and a half years since I graduated and I still get chills when I watch a good dance team perform. I feel that lump in my throat that comes with being a Kixter alumni. This year, I asked my mom if she wanted to go watch the Just For Kix Christmas Show with me. The little kids would be dancing, and the Kixters would be dancing as well. My mom loves dance too, so she agreed. [She probably loves dance even more now because she doesn't have someone in it. She is the kind of anxious mom that would have to pace during our dances haha! She's calm, cool and collected about most things, but watching us dance... that got her nerves a'firing! Love you mom, thanks for always being there for each dance even if you had to pace through it.]
The show was awesome, and I really think the team is great this year. Cindy and the whole crew does an amazing job.
I hope that one day God blesses Matt and I with a daughter because I really, really want to have a daughter in dance. Even if I have to pace like my mom did. I will pace my way through a Just For Kix and Kixter dance career.
xo, Laura
OOHHH love the photos. My grand daughter (she is 6) took dance last year and loved loved loved it. The class fill up so fast that we have not been able to get her back into it.
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