







This Thursday I am thankful for the gift of dance. Dancing is one of my biggest passions, when I dance I can feel that I am doing something that God made me to do and it is like I can feel Him smiling at me while I dance. Dance is something I have loved nearly my whole life. I took my first dance class when I was three years old and danced until I was nine. I loved it and was devastated when I had to quit, but my dad was losing his job and my parents couldn’t afford to put four girls in dance. As the years slipped away I slowly accepted the fact that I wouldn’t ever get to dance again, but it made my heart hurt to think about it. I wanted to dance so badly! Finally, two and a half years ago I got a job that I could afford to pay for my own dance classes, the only problem was finding a studio in town that would accept an adult beginner. After calling every studio in town that I knew about, I was driving home one day when I saw a studio I’d never seen before. I decided to take a chance and call, but even as I was preparing myself to hear the words, sorry there’s no room for you, I was hearing yes, we’d love to have you come dance, in fact, why don’t you start this week? I have been dancing ever since, I am now involved in nearly every subject, ballet, tap, jazz, modern, lyrical and hip-hop and I love every moment of it. So after losing it and finally receiving it back, I am so thankful for the gift of dance this Thursday!
Leighton Michele
*photo credit goes to Meggan Marie Photography, these pictures were taken by Meggan after finishing my first year of dance.