I've been meaning to quit dance this year.

And my heart was set out on quitting after these last performances with 02H and JGP. But... I've come to face the facts that no matter how hard I try to leave dance, I end up staying. Dance has been there for me since the beginning. When I moved here from Japan, I knew nobody. I spontaneously decided to sign up for dance class in high school because I wanted to make some friends and wanted to explore new talents. Then I got really into dancing. I wanted to get better and I took an interest in hip-hop my sophomore year and was apart of the dancing community at Great Oak High School. It's a good feeling being apart of something. Sharing something with others. Ideas, new ways of improving, anything really! So then I joined about 6 other teams in my span of being in high school. The most I learned from dancing is that every team has a different feel to it. And adjusting to the styles and vibe of each team helped me become a better dancer.

Dance was my number one supporter when I hit rock bottom and committed a felony when I was 16 years old. After my relationship took a big hit, I felt like I had nothing left. I started drinking and smoking. But I actually had something left in my life. My family and my dance. I didn't realize that with all the mess that I was creating, it helped create an artful masterpiece. I would be at iCON practice crying on the inside and dancing through those emotions. Then when I walked home, I would feel so depressed. If I didn't have dance, I wouldn't be able to be strong. I would have broken down here and there. I don't know if anyone could relate. I don't know if anybody has ever felt as broken as I did. I think dancing when you are going through a rough patch in life gives a better performance and helps serve the purpose of dance. Dancing without emotion is pointless.

Even now, if I'm enduring struggles, it is because of dance. It is because of the community. The people in it have a way of always putting a smile on your face. I can't give dance ALL the credit for keeping me sane. It's also the people. I'm so grateful to have danced with and met so many different inspirational people. Dancing is my foundation and it keeps me high above the ground. So I ask myself: Why quit? Why just throw something that you've invested so much emotion and time into away? My journey through dance has been a roller coaster. And I just keep getting on and I keep enjoying the ride.