I am dressed in an extravagant sparkly costume, and my hair is slicked back on the top of my head in a bun that looks like a donut. With bright make-up painted on my face, I encourage my teammates “This is the only chance we have, we cannot mess up.” We tie up our leathery black shoes with taps on the bottom and head backstage. Physically, I carry these shoes on my feet, but symbolically they represent my passion, dance. For as long as I can remember, dance has been my happiness and the one place I can go and not feel judged.

Sometimes it can be a struggle to go to practice after a hard day of school, but going there and seeing one of my best friends, Ellen, is the best feeling. With her pale freckled skin and tomato red hair she walks towards me in a princess kind of way. Her bright smile shines upon me and we both start to giggle like little kids in a candy shop and head to class. Being with Ellen makes the weight of carrying my tap shoes lighter because she makes it fun. The weight influences my life because I spend so much time practicing, stretching, strengthening and trying to improve my skills. These skills are ones that may deteriorate over time, but I will always have them with me. They are also a heavy influence on my life because they are a symbol of my happiness. I am sitting on stage waiting for the awards ceremony to start. Nervously, I am listening for my routine, number 276, to be called. “274…275…276, Crazy in Love wins a platinum!” We jump up and start screaming, then run over to claim the big golden trophy we won for our flawless routine. The happiness I get when we win awards like that is the reason I always carry dance around with me.

I look down and see my phone light up with my mom’s name on it. I unlock it and see she texted me saying my new shoes came in the mail. They are not new heels, boots, or tennis shoes like a normal girl would want, but my new custom tap shoes. I rush home so I can try them on. The stiff suede inside the shoe fit my slim foot perfectly, and the taps sound crisp and clear like I have never heard before. These shoes I carry connect me in a way with my mom like I cannot connect with anyone else. She signed me up and took class with me when I was three, and has always supported, encouraged, and been there for me when I did not make the team or dance I wanted to be in. To this day, she is still involved with the studio I dance at. On the ride there we talk and gossip about what is going on with the people at the studio. After driving down the busy street, we arrive and the parking lot is full from other parents picking up and dropping off their students. We walk through the doors into the bright pink lobby where smiling parents sit and watch their kids classes, waiting for them to be done. This is the place I love. Because you created and built this studio, I have a place to be myself and be happy even on my worst days.