Dancesport is a big theme for me which connects my experience in Spain to that of UMass and home. It has been something I´ve wanted to pursue since I began sophomore year of high school. I danced in the newcomer and bronze levels for a year until my partner stopped dancing, leaving me in a small town in central New York with no dance partner and negative chance of finding another one. Senior year of high school I focused on other types of dance and explored other aspects of life. One of the main reasons I chose UMass was because they have a Ballroom team. During each of the three years I was there I was fortunate to have a partner with whom to compete. I entered college as a bronze-level dancer, placed out of bronze, silver, gold, and left competing in the pre-champion level. I gained experience dancing, performing and competing; developing technique, personal expression, and partner connection. My last partner at UMass not only became a dear friend of mine but also taught me a lot about the aesthetic factors that go hand in hand with passing into the higher levels of dancesport in order the attain ¨the look¨. These visually artistic details include but are not limited to hair, makeup, tanning, dress design, stoning (i.e. gluing crystals to) pretty much anything: a dress, a bracelet, my head…etc.  The ballroom team introduced me to a nearby dance studio with great instructors who believed in me and provided me with encouraging, affirmative and productive guidance at a crucial moment in my dancing, right around the time I decided I would spend my senior year of college studying in Madrid, Spain.

¨Success occurs when preparation meets opportunity¨ – Henry Hartman

Around this time last year (March) I had been accepted and decided to study abroad in the Hamilton College Academic Year in Spain 2013-2014. Continue reading →