Elements XIV
Damn. I had such an amazing time this weekend that I wish I could honestly repeat it again. This was my first time dancing with the big leagues as part of Project D and I have to say, I was so nervous and excited. I started getting into dancing when my brother first started. Well, it was "dancing". I remember the first thing that he came home and showed my parents was that he learned how to wave. All throughout his High School he was more of a bboy and styles than dancing choreography...but that all changed when he first joined Project D. Now this is where I started getting into the choreography scene, watching dance videos, taking class, and going to watch competitions. I still remember my first dance event, it was Prelude East Coast at the Rahway Performing Arts Center? I think? I just know it was like five minutes from my house lol and it was hosted by Fr3sh. That time I sat with my cousins and my brother and even though he was on PD he wasn't performing. I watched my very first PD set...I don't remember much of it, i think it was something to do with a subway ... or idk if im mixing it up but i know for a fact they used a bit of "I want you back" by Nsync lol. BUT I do remember the first set that really got me hooked on PD, and that was their Car set. I remember thinking how freaking dope it was they made a car out of themselves and they had glowy shirts. I was hooked on that set for the longest time. I remember this is the period where I really started watching Fr3sh, Team Millenia, Choreo Cookies, Funk SF, and a whole buncha other people. All of this led to me taking boogiezone classes and made me really want to dance. However, I never really got to be able to train until I got to college which is where I started with UFPx. I spent two years on X before I moved to Project D. I have to say, that me dancing was probably the best thing that's happened to me. I got to dance with the people my brother got grow with. I got to experience the team that got him into choreo, and that got me into dancing. I got to be part of the same family as my brother. Sometimes I can't believe that I was able to actually join the dance circuit and be one of the people I've been watching since high school. A dancer. Yeah I had to do a lot just to keep dancing like, not tell my parents. It's honestly been hard on me having to lie to them so much...they didn't know I was on X and they don't know I'm on PD...but how could i tell them when every little bad thing that happens to me is a reason for them to blame it on dance. Me: Oh part of my car broke... Them:It's because all you think about is dance. Like okay? I guess everything that ever goes wrong is because I like to dance. They knew I took boogiezone classes in high school and i guess that was enough for them to assume it's a "distraction". Anyway back to happy thoughts lol..So joining PD I'm not gonna lie felt so scary and discouraging...I was leaving my friends behind. I was leaving the team that I first grew up with. I was leaving behind Bunso Jello sticks, lapras, needsomeair, lowyourbao, espenis and a bunch of other people. Part of me KNEW they would understand, but at the same time...i felt like i was leaving a part of me behind. They were my closest friends ever and it was gonna be such a struggle. I miss them. Sometimes I get kind of jealous because of the fact that I know they've gotten closer and sometimes I don't get their insiders because how can I? I left. This was how I felt or this was what I was getting scared of when I left. I was scared of becoming distant. I was scared of becoming separated from the people I grew so incredibly close to. I'm just glad that I had Cassie, Reesie, Jarryl, and Alexis. They joined PD and it made it a little easier to not miss X so much. But it didn't work. At one point on PD i felt like a nobody. Like I was just another body to everyone. I was just there to take up space....but when the start of this set happened things started to get better. I started enjoying myself and I really started to like where I was. I started to enjoy this sense of unity and family that PD emphasizes so much...It felt like home. It felt like how I was with X. Things started to really feel good being on PD. It really felt like i was finally connecting with everyone. I freaking love PD. People have been asking about everyones feelings from performing at elements. Everyone was like "oh it was so important and such life changer" and stuff. But I wanted to wait. I wanted to make sure that everything I was feeling was legit and not part of a "High". I waited till now cuz i just couldn't hold it in anymore. I LOVED PERFORMING. Sure we weren't the cleanest, but I can admit that that's probably one of the best sets I've ever felt so good about doing. I don't know what it was that made it feel so good. Maybe it was the fact that we rolled in so deep? 55 people 54 people? I don't know but it felt pretty freaking good. Out of all the performances so far I have to say this was one of my faves. We didn't place but I didn't care, cuz I knew we all danced our hearts out on that stage. Other people even felt it. I was only sad when I saw people being sad over it. That's when I started feeling sad, but it's like one of them said "Getting a trophy is just the cherry on top". You know what was the real cherry on top for me though? Watching my friends. My friends on X dance on UFP company. That alone did it for me. I'm so proud to call them my closest friends and still call them my family. All this loneliness I've been feeling went away when I got to share the stage with them again. It was incredible. I was so happy. I can't help but smile when I see them dance. It's like I got to dance with them and be happy, but now I get to watch them and be happy. This weekend was just incredible. I don't even know what else to say. I just know that we all made a statement at Elements despite not having placed. But they should all know that New Jersey isn't ready to back down. We're all gonna come back next year and give it even more than what we gave this year. I love my PD and UFP families. We both did great this weekend. I hope you guys will watch these videos and see all of us perform. Whether we are UFP or UFPx or Project D, we're still rooting for each other no matter what. That sense of Unity is what supports real strength. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sd5Yj9Gnx1c Project D http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Vjzy7V82dVw UFP
