When I was younger, my mom said I would always walk around on my tip-toes.

I suppose that was some serious foreshadowing to the way I would spend the next twenty some odd years of my life—dancing around on those same little toes. Dance has given me almost everything that is wonderful in my life. The art has required much from my mind and my body, but in return it has given me more than I could have ever asked for. It has been my Giving Tree.

So it is no wonder that even though I do not dance quite like I used to before I entered this so-called real world we working folk live in, it still sucks me in, mesmerizing like a Siren. It makes me very upset when So You Think You Can Dance ends each season. Nutcracker week is one of my favorites, though I might not have a lot of back-up on that one here. I still hear certain songs and say “I’m must choreograph a dance to this song!” and begin to form the movements and combinations with imaginary dancers in my head. But I’m sure most other dancers would say the same.

Like I said before I don’t get to dance much anymore in the conventional sense, like at my studio, taking classes, wearing tights and leotards, doing plies and things like that. However, the itch to dance can be scratched in oh so many ways.

I recently saw Coldplay in Orlando and let me tell you, my concert dancing is one spectacle to behold. Many know my signature “one hand in the air” dance move and with limited space to jive at concerts, that one comes out quite a bunch. Now if you know our office very well you will know of our spontaneous dance parties. A cool song comes on in someone’s office that sparks a brief but cathartic groove session, usually leaving me out of breath wishing I was in better shape.

During one of our many extended happy hour trips to The Ivy, the hip new bar that I like to call my own personal “Cheers”, we stumbled upon their ballroom dancing night. Who knew? As my fellow K-girl and I sat down to enjoy a beverage, I peered over to the few couples busting some sweet moves and said “You know, I could totally do that.” And right as the last word left my mouth, a smooth-stepping man asked for my hand in the next dance. My smug confidence I had while sitting down turned into apologetic excuses of how I wasn’t going to be good at this and nervous glances back to Kendall. Thank goodness for liquid courage and for trained partners who lead very well.

He twisted and turned and shuffled and cha-cha-ed me all around that little dance floor and I tried my best not to look ridiculous. Even through my reservation, that excited feeling filled my stomach and I slipped right back to that place I spent so many years.

Everybody has something they were meant to do with this life. I believe that there are a good many things I am meant to do, but I am certain that dance was and is one of them. I will always do it. I will always be an advocate for it. It will always be that Giving Tree, branching out in so many ways to help me though all of this life stuff.