Standing In the Rain

As many of you read in the very first post, I spoke about teaching two soloists over the last couple of years. In my last post, "Teaching: Students That Inspire You (Part 2)", I talked about the young woman that I've had the honor of teaching as a soloist for the last 2 years. Today, I'd like to talk about a young man that was in the very first group of kids I ever worked with. I had the honor this year of teaching him his very first solo.

When I first met him he was like any other 3rd grade boy, very energetic, talkative, and always wanted to have fun no matter the circumstance. For 3 years I taught him in my first group of kids, the group of Hip Hop dancers and watched him grow up into an amazing Hip Hop dancer and young man with a stronger passion for dance than he had started with. This year when I was teaching my first soloist that a spoke of before, I ran into him at my former school and he told me about having wanted to do a solo at the LCS Festival (FLOCS Competition) at Southeastern University for the 2016 competition. As usual for any dance, I asked him what style he wanted to do. Assuming he would say Hip Hop I was already thinking of songs in my head, however, he shocked me. The word that came out of his mouth was very unexpected, CONTEMPORARY.

That afternoon, we discussed different song choices, as well as using Hip Hop as a Plan B in case Contemporary didn't work out. I clearly remember asking what kind of meaning he wanted behind his dance, because almost all Contemporary, Modern, and Lyrical dances have some form of a story. The first thing he told me was, "I want to do a dance about perseverance.". Immediately, I knew which song he should do without even knowing a reason behind the decision of perseverance. His solo song would now become not only part of his first Contemporary solo, but it would become his FIRST SOLO ever. The song we chose, is Stand In the Rain by Superchick (we used a male cover from youtube, I will share the link below). If you have not heard this song before, please research it and truly listen to it. When we say TRULY LISTEN, we mean it from the heart. The only way to fully grasp this song is to know the lyrics and fully hear them.

After choosing this song, I began choreographing and we began practicing for multiple hours a week. I'm sure by now you are wondering, why perseverance and why this song? To answer this question, you need to know a background story. This young man is in his 8th grade year, a year that many students begin to face bullying and different struggles. For him, this year hasn't been much different than that. He has spent an entire year being bullied for who he is, a male dancer. Because, as many know society has placed a label on ALL MALE DANCERS. This label being the word "GAY". Now, mind you there are many male dancers that are NOT gay. This young man is not gay, however, he has dealt with this label for quite sometime. As many of us also go through being told, we're not good enough, we don't belong or fit in, we should quit dreaming about what we want to be, or the most unfortunate one of all GIVE UP. He has dealt with this time and time again. Yet, he had no way to prove these people wrong, until this solo came along.

At the LCS Festival he faced many of the people that have talked down to him and he not only stood up for himself and told his story through his dance, he also went out there to stand up for anyone who has ever felt worthless, abandoned, and not good enough. He decided that even though he had only taken Contemporary for 5 months, he wanted to prove those that doubted him wrong and show them he will continue to "Stand In the Rain". At the award ceremony, he was awarded the FIRST PLACE OVERALL AWARD for Worship Dance Solos and received an Invitational to the Regional competition in April!

During our practices, he continued to push himself harder than any student I've ever
either danced with myself or taught, because he is a young man that is chasing his dream despite the nay sayers. Many of us give up on our dreams far to early and never get to see where they may have led us. This young man has been a true inspiration in my life as a future studio owner, choreographer, and person. Not only has he inspired me to continue to fight for my dreams, but he has shown me it doesn't matter what others may say, as long as you remember to always push through and NEVER say the word "CAN'T" because you can always succeed and prove those wrong that doubted you. He may be 15, but he has inspired and reminded me of why I am starting my studio. He has inspired me to open a place where students can come and not only learn, but be encouraged even when others are tearing them down. I will forever live with the inspiration that regardless of the situation at hand, we can always stand strong and remember that no matter how rough the storm in life gets, it will always get better if we continue to believe in ourselves.

"There will be Doubters, there will be Haters, there will be Non-believers. 

Then there's you,

PROVING THEM WORNG!"

-A.P.

To the amazing and talented young man I have had the honor of knowing and teaching for the last 7 years, I want you to truly know that you have been a remarkable inspiration in my life.

You will always be one of my first kids no matter how old or how much taller you get, you will always be one of my first "little ones". I have watched you grow into an amazing dancer and cannot wait to see what God has in store for your dance future! In only a few weeks I watched you go from only knowing a few Contemporary moves to becoming an amazing dancer that I cannot wait to continue to watch grow into an even more phenomenal artist. 

I love you man!