Guest Writer Kelsey Molton

Hello all,

I decided that it would be a good idea to hear about other people's dance experiences on this blog, so today we have an article from our very first guest, Kelsey Molton!  I hope you enjoy her touching story as much as I did!  Its nice to know that other people have been touched as deeply by dance as I have.

Also, visit her Custom Design website here!

-Aaron Mullen

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Dancing, it will change your life forever

Written by Kelsey Molton

 First of all, I would like to thank Aaron Mullen for letting me guest write.  Now, onto my story.

Kelsey aged 4 (middle)

    When I was a little girl, 4 years old to be exact, I got to join my sister in ballet and tap dancing.  I was quite happy about this, because this meant I got to get new clothes, a duffel bag, and new shoes.  I enjoyed my first lesson quite a bit, my only problem was my asthma.  Of course this made me have to stop several times, and I was stuck without my nebulizer. (an old machine that us asthmatics used to use in the 90's and 00's before inhalers. Unfortunately some people still use these old fashioned things that don't work. That's another story however.)

    Even though my asthma always got in the way, I loved dancing to music, doing what my sister was doing, and making friends.  The only person who found this to be a problem was our teacher, Miss Connie.  One day when we came a little early, we were the only ones there at the time.  My mom, sister, and myself, other than our teacher.  Miss Connie found this to be a perfect opportunity to "have a talk with us."  My sister Brittany ran out onto the dance floor to play, and I stayed next to my mom, to play with the crayons and coloring book that was always there.  That's what I always did because I didn't want to cause an asthma attack (what my family calls them instead of flare ups). Miss Connie looked to my mom and I and said, "If you start feeling like you have an Asthma attack, pretend like you're blowing up a big balloon instead of taking breaks." "But I can't!" I cried.  I could never even catch my breath when I had an asthma attack.  I ran off to play with my sister, because I didn't like what she was saying.  Apparently she had said other things to my mom while I was away, because my mom was quite mad when we left that day.  To see my mom upset, upset me.

     I decided to quit dance class after we had our recital.  Miss Connie always seemed to have a problem with me having asthma attacks anyway.  I didn't mind doing the recital because of the pretty outfits we got to wear, and the makeup. 

Outfit from Kelsey's first recital

After that though, I was gone.  My sister left with me.  I missed dance class so much that I went back about 6 months later.  Although Miss Connie still had a problem with me, I tried to enjoy myself anyway.  Eventually, I left again, but after the recital once again.  I didn't like the second recital as much as I did before, because we had to wear ugly outfits that I thought looked like the should be for a clown rather than a ballet and tap dancer.

Outfit from Kelsey's second recital

    Years later, when I was 11, I started Tae Kwon Do.  I liked it a lot, until I got to my yellow belt (but that yet another story).  It took until I was 12 for my instructor, Mr. Rodgers (yes, Mr. Rodgers), asked me, "Kelsey, were you a ballet dancer?" When I told him yes, he explained that I did everything so gracefully instead of tough, he figured.  I did do everything gracefully actually, more like a dance than a fighting stance. Yea, that would really scare people.

     To this day, I still do things with grace, and I don't even try.  Dance is just a part if me now, even though I only went for two years all together.  Dance taught me something...  No matter how long (or short in my case) you dance for, dance will never leave you, even if you try to be tough.

Thank you Kelsey for writing this heartfelt article!

Visit Kelsey's website here!