Revelations at USA Dance Nationals

By Tijen Petersen

See more photos from USA Dance Nationals on the Ryan Kenner Photography Website

A few weekends ago, my partner and I were fortunate enough to attend the USA Dance National DanceSport competition for the first time. We were excited to present our near three years worth of work at this competition and to see how we placed amongst the best dancers in the country.

Walking onto the floor at 8 a.m. on the Friday of the competition, we knew we were up against tough competitors. But, we put all nerves aside, let our muscle memory take over, and had a great time dancing.

After two long but quick days of competing, waiting anxiously at the projector screen for callbacks and mustering up our energy and enthusiasm between styles, we had finally completed our first national competition with placements we were proud to share. (Go check out the results section in this issue of Sheer Dance for Joel Torgeson and Tijen Petersen!)

This competition allowed us to see how our dedication to dancing and motivation to learn has paid off. What I realized, however, is that dancing is more than the celebratory moments at competitions. It's about learning new things and the beauty of this process that gets you to your goals.

After a fun weekend filled with friends and doing what I love, I found that dancing is more than just something I do, it is something I am. Learning, dedication, athleticism, creative expression, and spending time with people are just some of the aspects of dance that make up who I am.