There I was once again, standing in front of 300+ people about to perform a dance with my newly made, lifelong friends. Ten year old me would never have believed I was willingly doing this. How did I make so many new friends? Dancing is way too hard; what am I doing on this stage? Quinceañeras were not something I ever planned on doing as a kid.

In Mexican culture, it is tradition for parents to throw a Quinceañera; a lavish birthday party, when their daughter turns fifteen, marking her passage from childhood to adulthood. In a Quinceañera, a group of boys called chambelanes accompany the young lady on her big day and perform dances with her. In March of 2022, my aunt and uncle asked me to be the main chambelan for my cousin Kayla. I was ecstatic. But, when practices started, I had a hard time learning the steps. I had never before danced in my life, it felt like I was entering a new world. Despite my struggles and horrible hip movements, I didn't quit. Giving up on myself and disappointing my family members was not an option. The choreographer saw the motivation I had to learn. She liked how despite my struggling, I didn't stop asking questions, but instead continuously asked for tips. She approached me one practice and said, “Hey mijo (son or buddy), I love how you actually put effort into learning the steps! Let me ask you something.” From that day on, I had a job as a dancer.

Whenever a Quinceañera needed a chambelan, they would inform my choreographer, who would then hire me to attend practices and dance on her big day. With hard work and dedication, I naturally got better at dancing. Now I faced another challenge; because practices were about two to three times a week per Quinceañera, and the majority of the time I would be involved in two if not more, I was always extremely busy. My typical day would be to wake up early in the morning, get ready for classes, attend school, go to Tri-Cities with my choreographer after school, get home around 11 p.m., and then stay up an additional two hours finishing homework. Despite this crazy schedule, I never let my grades drop. Knowing that education is key to being successful, I always do my best when it comes to classes and homework.

Dancing didn't just help build my resilience, it also boosted my charisma. I wasn't a super talkative person before I started dancing. I wasn't shy, but I wouldn't go out of my way to talk to the new person sitting by themselves at lunch. When receiving the job, I was forced to come out of my shell and speak to not only new people, but different types of people. I learned how to build connections with people all across the board. Whether they were young, old, Hispanic, non-Hispanic, or even shy, it didn't matter. I was able to build relationships and make lasting memories. I often caught myself pushing myself to talk to the Quinceañera and her friends and family, which is something I would have never done before. I will never forget the day when my choreographer called me her best and most sociable dancer. It not only shocked me, but filled me with joy.

To me, dancing is more than moving my body to a rhythm. Sure, at face value it is, but to me, it's what made me believe in myself and realize I can take on leadership roles like Associated Student Body President and my classes secretary. It made my skills in befriending people jump significantly, and helped push myself in not only fighting sleep, but bettering my time management skills.

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