My fluid movements allowed no mistakes. Hundreds, if not thousands, would watch my every move. Dance with your heart. I muttered these words under my breath. It was a pivotal period in my life. I had been waiting for this moment all season. I wanted to execute every move perfectly, to dance with all my heart, not just because of the crowd, but because of something bigger that connected my heart to this dance. During my sophomore year at Hotchkiss High School, I joined the Hotchkiss varsity dance team. . Until now, my dance experience was non-existent, but I was confident in my abilities to become a dancer. My love for dance was enough to give me confidence. Our dance coach, Stephanie Neff, informed us at the beginning of our season that she had lost someone important to breast cancer. In commemoration of her beloved friend, she wanted to dedicate and choreograph our national dance routine to raise awareness for breast cancer. My teammates didn't do much about it and I know this routine would mean so much more to us. Our dance season progressed quickly before my eyes. The team immediately became closer and we ended up feeling like family. Before we knew it, we were heading off in the beat-up old school van from our small town of Hotchkiss to the big city of Denver. The Colorado State Dance Championship is held each December at the Denver Coliseum. Our team arrived with a strong desire to inspire people, not just to win a trophy. I was focused on this mission until we got to the warm-up area and my stomach dropped. Then I glanced around the Colosseum arena and my jaw dropped to the floor. Not only did the vastness of the arena scare me, but the number of people waiting and watching from the fireplace...... middle of paper ... mistake. The music ended and my heart was pounding in my chest. I felt liberated; the dancing was over and the roars of the crowd were the reward for all our hard work. We took third place at state that year. This number meant nothing to me because in my mind we had won first place. We stole the hearts of many people and proved that we could influence thousands. It’s true: “Never doubt that a small group can change the world.” In fact, it's the only thing that ever existed. (Margaret Mead)I became a real dancer and I proved something that day. I had moved perfectly because I felt the dance in my heart. Dancing developed my physical abilities, gave me enormous courage and helped me become a stronger person in every way. I now feel like I have more tools to meet life's challenges and am better prepared for the next big step in my life: college..