I remember when I wanted to be in a ballet and jazz class. Wanting to be the most graceful dancer in the world. I loved the beauty of it, and, don’t get me wrong, I still do, but now it is more than that.

Now, I hate the way dance is just for beauty and looks, it means something to me and so I hate the dancers who only dance because it’s pretty.

I’ve wanted to stop dancing because nobody loves dance for what it really stands for anymore. You can see it in their expression, their strained faces that don’t smile or even feel. I want it to be done because the dancers love it, not for fame or fortune.

“Come on, let’s go!” My mom’s high voice pierces through my thoughts, interrupting them, “It’s a big, big day! We are going to have so much fun at the performance today!” She continues.

My mom, Patty, and I are going to a dance performance today. There will be aspiring dancers in high school and college there to perform for us. They’ll be performing all types of dances, including ballet and jazz. But, frankly, I don’t want to go. I’d rather not sit in a crowded, dark, huge auditorium while watching people dance for everything but the love, passion, and emotion dance is. She loves these performances and she loves sitting there with me. So, for her, I’ll sit through it and put on my best smile.

“Yup,” I say simply.

She jabbers away on how amazing the performance will be, but I’m not listening.

I’m focusing on the rain patting on the roof and the swish from puddles as cars pass by. I’m focusing on everything amazing the world has that nobody notices and takes for granted.

“Oh, and we could...”

She continues but I ignore her. Why can’t life be easy, with no emotions or anything? Just surviving and nothing else? I know that isn’t possible, though, even as I dream of it.

“Come on, Hannah! We have to go to the auditorium at the high school and we don’t want to be late!” My mom says excitedly.

We get in our small, red, convertible car. My mom can barely sit still the entire way there. I stare out the window. There’s a little girl with her mother skipping somewhere. I see a couple holding hands walking to a nice restaurant. I see an entire family laughing inside the deli. I see every example of love there is to see.

We arrive and my mother almost bounces out of the car.

Entering the auditorium is magical. There are no props or sets and the stage is blank but the emotion and passion that fills the room is marvelous.

We sit down in our seats and suddenly, I’m inspired.

They dim the lights and I can see a smile spread across my mother’s face. First is a jazz routine.

The choreographer decides to have all five of them do solos after a simple ensemble. The first four passed and I lost my excitement. The fifth dancer, a slightly curvy young girl with a beautiful face, started to dance.

Passion and love radiates from her face through the rest of her body to the audience. It is breathtaking and moving. The way she extends her arms and spins her body is amazing. Every step and move you can feel her emotion and passion for dance. I feel a surge of energy and just know I want to dance like that, love like that. I know I want to spread this love and emotion to everyone else like this girl is doing here. I want to dance.