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When people ask me what I do, I proudly omit my 9-5 and skip to the good part! “I teach the most expressive and energetic group of girls ever!” Affectionately, I refer to them as my “chocolate blessings” and loving what I do, even if only on the weekends, is the reason I spend Saturdays chasing after little people.  Teaching has really challenged me in many ways because it allows me to practice patience and gives me the opportunity to learn from young people who are growing into their ideals as I once was. As a young dancer, I had an expansive imagination which contributed to my growth as a performance artist and that gave me the outlet I needed to feel free on stage. I was always excited to show who I was and it even surprised my mom how outgoing I had become.  The arts found me in the perfect place; young, curious, wandering, and faithful. I see this in my students and it brings me such warmth to see my girls grow year after year; such hope in the idea that what I do still counts, even if I am not doing it the way I once was.  I teach because it is my duty to pass on what molded me into who I am, not because I was assigned by anyone but because that’s the only way to successfully contribute to a community you are raised in.  Dance is my community and giving back to dance, just as it has given so generously to me, is what I have been called to do.