By Lily Zachariah, Tulane University Shockwave Dance Team
Anticipating the transition from dancing at my studio to a collegiate team was intimidating and in basic terms, scary. While I could not have been more excited and grateful to be on a collegiate dance team, I knew it would require growth and flexibility. For many dancers, graduating from your home studio can be devastating; leaving behind the teammates and mentors that have made you the individual you are today seems impossible. However, after graduating there I had an epiphany in which I recognized all the not only skills and talents I left with, but more importantly the life skills. Within the first weeks of my time on Shockwave I had heavily relied on these skills to ensure that I was being the best teammate I could be as I was establishing myself on the team. One lesson I carried with me, and will continue to train with, is that no one ever became great from doing what was expected of them. In other words, many of the athletes or other dancers we look up to today became the individual they are by always taking the extra step. If they had practiced for 4 hours that day, it was likely they were there early or late. Putting in extra time is an easy example of this. As a dancer, it is those extra hours and moments in which there is undeniable growth. However, this is not uncommon amongst many dancers because of the emotional reliance many of us feel for dance that encourages us to be in the studio as much as we can. Dance is unfortunately not something that lasts forever, there will be a time in our lives where our bodies will no longer be capable of the things that it can do as children or young adults. So, while we are blessed with this time and these bodies, why spend it being average? As dancers and athletes, striving for greatness is a pathway full of challenges and struggles that take emotional and physical strength to overcome. Though, it is for this reason that as we, as dancers, strive for greatness, become not only great, but more importantly, better. Growth as a dancer translates into our everyday lives. It creates habits in the studio that apply outside the studio as well, whether that be in school, in relationships, at work, etc.
For many dancers, recognition as athletes is oftentimes lacking, however the dedication and passion that dancers, especially at a college level, share is substantial. Specifically, Tulane Shockwave is in the process of building a name for yourself. Though, as a team we still have a lot to prove. So, we are constantly looking to take that extra step that is going to bring us to greatness. No program, studio, team, etc., ever became great from doing the minimum. For our team, coaches and leadership roles on the team have embraced this as they have increased expectations outside of practice to better ourselves outside of practice. Whether that be through mandatory strength building and cardio workouts or submitting individual practice videos, our team has continuously pushed to work towards the goals we have established for ourselves.
So, I leave you with one question: why be average at something when you could be great? Life is full of choices, and each day it is your own will that guides such choices, so with each step I urge you to choose greatness. Choose the extra 30 minutes of practice, choose pushing yourself every practice, choose to dance everyday knowing it could always possibly be your last.
**
The Tulane Shockwave Dance Team is the official dance team of Tulane University. Shockwave can be found at Greenwave Football and Tulane Basketball games, Mardi Gras parades, and NDA College Nationals at Daytona Beach, Florida. As they strive to establish a name for its program, they are dedicated to growth as performers and athletes. Their team motto last year “Building A Legacy” embodied the passion, determination, and spirit that these athletes hold as they elevate their program to new heights.
