Every little girl has a dream. Mine was to become a dancer, so for me, it was truly a dream come true when I finally had the opportunity to participate in the Shen Yun Performing Arts practicum in 2013. It’s been more than ten years now, and I have to say, every moment was well worth it. If you asked me if I’d do it again, I would answer “Yes!” without hesitation.

My mom travels from Texas every two or three months to visit me. She says her happiest memories are of me prancing out of the school building, showing improvements in both my character and physique. As a child, I was very weak and timid. I found it hard to cope with the stress of fitting in at school and keeping my grades up. As I approached high school, I started suffering from anxiety.

However, my emotional and physical health changed so much after becoming a part of Shen Yun, and my mom really noticed it too! She said I had life in my eyes, color in my face, and kindness in my actions. I didn’t really notice these changes until I looked back at my old photos and videos, and I was astonished—I was like a completely different person! I no longer had that drained yellowish complexion, that hunched and unconfident posture, or that selfish, doubtful glare. These striking changes came about due to my education at Fei Tian Academy of the Arts (editor's note: a school where many Shen Yun artists study), and through the valuable professional experiences I attained through my practicum with Shen Yun.

For me, personally, I found a close community I could really rely on. My teachers were so supportive of me throughout these eleven years, whether in dance or academics. The student-to-teacher ratio is very low at Fei Tian, and my teachers really tailored classes to my needs and went above and beyond to help me achieve my potential.

I remember one year in Melbourne, my practicum mentor was coaching my solo dance. She said something that I’ll remember forever: “The ultimate goal of dance is to free your body, but every step of the way is learning how to control it.” I feel this statement can be applied to everything.

If you want to attain anything in life, you have to possess certain qualities that will help you achieve your goals. I feel my mindset has matured greatly after receiving professional experience performing with Shen Yun. I now have a sense of responsibility, team spirit, resilience, and perseverance.

My fellow classmates are my biggest support team. We’re basically like sisters—we’ve grown up together, side by side, year after year. During our days off, we each cook a dish and share them like a big family. We can laugh and talk for hours and hours!

One of my happiest memories is of going out together in Poland after a 2:00 PM show. We walked to the old town of Lublin, bought some famous Polish ice cream, and ate it sitting under the sun. At that moment, I really felt I was with my best friends, doing what I loved, living my youth to the fullest.

 

This article originally appearead on the Shen Yun Community website. Read it here.