When one thinks of tap dance they may think “shoes that make a noise when you dance in them.” When I think of tap dance, I think of the instrument that has opened up my entire being and allowed me to express myself in ways that I never dreamed to be possible!
When I was younger, my life revolved around dancing. I competed in dance competitions regularly and I was even cast in Ireland’s equivalent to an Off-Broadway show! To this day, I can still remember the feeling I had when I’d get on that stage; an internal knowing that the stage was where I belonged.
Unfortunately, just when I felt that my dancing was at its best, life happened and I had to stop dancing (but that’s for a different blog!). I’ve spent much of my adult life chasing that feeling of how ALIVE and COMPLETE I had felt while dancing and have achieved some pretty remarkable things in the process! While I continued to work hard for what I thought would bring me the fulfillment I’d been looking for, nothing seemed to bring me the gratification and feeling of completion that I felt on the stage so many years ago, a feeling that I could still remember so vividly.
A few years ago I decided to take a chance on myself and follow an internal pull deep down inside that I had to get back into dancing. It had been over a decade since I had danced last, but deep down I knew that it was something I had to do! At first I was very aggravated that the moves didn’t come back to me as easily I had expected them to. But let me tell you this: when I got back into my rhythm, there was no stopping me! The fulfillment I felt from progressing and hearing my work come to life from those new tap shoes brought me right back to those competition stages in Ireland where I could even hear the crowd! This was the feeling I’d been chasing for most of my adult life!
Tap dancing not only gave me a newfound belief in myself, but it was also a way for me to express myself! I’d gained a lot of life experience since I had danced last, which allowed me to bring so much more depth and emotion to my dancing.
If not for following the intuition I had to begin dancing again, I wouldn’t be where I am today: living my dream as an actress! When you accomplish anything from hard work, it feels amazing. When you accomplish your DREAM from hard work it’s the best feeling in the entire world. You deserve to have that feeling!
Everyone has their own method of expressing themselves and everyone has something that they can do that will make them feel complete and fulfilled. Take a moment to look at the world around you. There are opportunities and possibilities everywhere and it’s up to you to open yourself up and allow yourself to explore them. You may fail to find what it is at first, as we all do, but when you finally find it, these failures will allow you to appreciate the incredible feelings even more! You deserve to be happy and you deserve the chance to chase your dreams… so take a chance on yourself. It may be the best thing you ever do! XO