“I chose dance because my older sister did it, and I always wanted to do what she did. I started by taking a hip hop class and immediately fell in love. Dance gave me something to work for; there were always people who were better than me, and they motivated me to keep working harder. However, it was also an escape for me. When I was in the dance studio, I was encouraged to express myself in any and every way. When I came to UCLA, I joined a club called “Expressive Movement Initiative” which taught kids with disabilities how to dance. I had previous experience teaching children to dance, but never children with disabilities. I knew it would be a challenge, but I was willing to give it a try. So far, I’ve loved it. Seeing these kids learn how to express themselves through dance is inspiring. I think that people with disabilities don’t get enough credit; they can do everything any person can do, they just might need to in a slightly different way. To have a club where people are willing to meet these kids in the middle is really special. It creates a free space for them that they don’t get enough of.”

P.S. Los Angeles,

“Dance is fun. No one hates dancing. Dance is a way for people to portray their feelings through their body and simply express themself. A lot of people go on stage and dance for an audience, but performers always say you have to dance for yourself first, and it’s true. An audience won’t understand your message unless you do, but what’s great about this is that dance gives you the liberty to write your own story.”