Going back 20 years . . .

   

This picture was my first tap dance when I was 4.

   Long Island, N.Y. was a great place to grow up. New York City was only a short train ride away and I can remember constantly going to Broadway shows,

thanks to my Mom and Aunt who love nothing more than to plan trips. I think that is why I was so focused on Broadway being my profession when I was younger. I started dancing when I was around 2 or 3, my friend Erica was put in a dance class so I am assuming my mother put me in one for that reason. I remember my first ballet performance I was dressed in a little red and white costume with bunny ears and a tail and danced to "Bunnies with a PHD". My mom said my arms were perfect and I knew exactly what I was doing, haha. Little did she know she was creating a monster.

   The first dance studio I danced at was called Backstreets Dance Center, I never remember switching to another studio because I was too young but I then continued to dance at Nancy's Dance Factory where the real dancing began. My mom put me in EVERY class she possibly could. I loved being on stage and as I grew older I was asked to join their company at the age of 8 or 9. Back then competition was so much different and I loved competing and it didn't matter if we got bronze, silver or gold we just wanted the ribbons and trophies. Nancy eventually had me traveling about an hour away to take class and train with the other competitive dancers because she closed the studio in my area (at that time she had 3). At the time we were a studio to "look out for" but the fact that it was far away was hard. 

     At school my friend Gina was telling me where she danced and before I knew it I was a competitive dancer at Michelle Ferraro's Dance U.S.A. and I was never so happy to be part of such an amazing team. I switched studios when I was 12 years old and didn't leave until it was time to graduate and move on. Switching studios is usually frowned upon but I never broke ties with my old teacher Nancy, she understood the inconvenience and I remember her telling me as long as I never gave up on dance she would be happy for me. Nancy actually owns Dance X-Plosion, a well known talent competition, and would always make an effort to congratulate me and tell me how proud she was of me even though I was apart of a "rival" of hers. 

     Growing up with my MFDUSA(Michelle Ferraro's Dance USA) family was the best moments of my life. Yes there was drama but more laughs, smiles and trophies than tears. Michelle taught me a lot of lessons in not only dance but in life, she was a second mother to not only me but most of her students. MFDUSA was a force to be reckon with and definitely still maintains that power today. My best friends came from my dance studio and are still my best friends till this very day. Every excuse was, " I CAN'T, I HAVE REHEARSAL", or I just rather hang with my dance friends. I was at that studio EVERY weekend with my team and can still hear the yelling to motivate us in the back of my head everyday. At MFDUSA I trained in Ballet, Tap, Jazz, Acrobatics, Hip-Hop, Musical Theater, Lyrical/Contemporary, even some Spanish moves being my director was Puerto rican. She always brought in outside choreographers from all over to better us, work harder and push ourselves. I owe Michelle one of the biggest THANK YOU'S from the bottom of my heart for always pushing me, yelling at me, believing me and inspiring me to get me to where I am today. I pass down everything I learned to my "kids" and that's what I hope they will do in the future. This is my MFDUSA family at a competition. 

      Now that I am all "grown-up" I moved to Florida and found Joanne's Dance Center. JDC is my new family and I love everything about it. It is hard work being a dance teacher but I wouldn't trade it for the world. My dancing years went by way to fast for me but now I get to watch my students, learn, grow and pursuit their love for dance. These are the best years of their lives and they don't even know it yet, their still concerned if they did well enough in class to earn a sticker today.