Many students in our school have hobbies and interests that are separate from their daily school lives. Two students, Freshmen Gage Garrett and Camila Briones practice dance at Stardance Performing Arts studio here in Hayesville. The local studio offers a place where anyone can rehearse, learn, and improve their dance skills, although this hobby is not only limited to classes you can take. 

When Gage was interviewed about his experience, he shares that he has been dancing for four years and trains in “ Hip Hop, Acro, and Contemporary” dance styles. There are several different types of dance, and each is unique in technique and style. Dance can also be a way for people to express themselves in a freeing and individual way. When asked why and how he became involved in dance, Gage says, “ I got into dance because most of my friends had been involved in dance and it is something that has always interested me.”

In dance classes, there is usually a routine followed by the students. Gage remarks on his experience in the Stardance Performing Arts Studio and what a day would look like for him, “ A day at dance would start with stretching and getting warmed up. Typically we start by doing something together across the floor and then we come together in the middle to come up with some choreography.” 

While many people are motivated to dance for the enjoyment and entertainment of it, dance also has multiple health benefits. Gage shares that his incentive to dance is for his health and says, “As I started dancing I felt a huge shift in my health and well-being physically.” He also mentions his “favorite part of dance is definitely the contemporary and more free part of dancing. Contemporary lets us express ourselves without speaking.” 

Although dance is an enjoyable and liberating pastime, the hobby can also have its difficulties. Gage says, “The most difficult part of dancing is mental hardship. When dancing, especially for a long period of time you start to hit a block. This block can make you want to quit and just give up but if you slow down and take things at your own pace, you start to enjoy it more.” While dance can have its pros and cons, this student would recommend it because “it gives you access to get away from everything and just feel welcomed and loved. The dance studio is somewhere safe, calming, and welcoming. The second you step into the studio you automatically feel connected.”