When people find out that I dance and play golf, they are often curious as to which one I like better. I tell every one of them that I cannot possibly choose, and that dance is my art and golf is my sport. They work hand in hand to help me reach my goals in both activities.

Yes, dance is a sport. It should be considered a sport, with all of the physical strain and conditioning you must go through to be a decent dancer, but to me it is not just a sport, it’s my art. It is the way that I can express my feelings and be myself without feeling like I am judged by anyone else. I have been dancing since I was three, and it will always hold a special place in my heart.

Golf is a little different for me. I started in third grade, but was not serious about it. The only reason I did it was because my friend did. I joined the golf team freshman year, and I became very serious about golf. I love golf, and am always so sad when the season is over, yet sometimes it is also nice to take a break. There is a mental aspect of golf that makes it very different from most sports.

What’s different between golf and dance is that in golf, you have to suppress your emotions, but in dance, you have to use your emotions. Golf was always harder for me because, having danced my whole life, I was used to expressing my emotions, not putting them on the back burner. In golf, if you are nervous, excited, or anything other than content or happy, you are not going to play well. On the contrary, in dance, I purposefully make myself feel so nervous that it feels like my heart has dropped into my stomach.

But dance also helps my golfing immensely. If I do terrible one day, and feel absolutely horrible, I can go to class and dance about it. Then it is put behind me, and I don’t dwell on the past. This helps my golf game like never before. And golf helps my dancing by showing how dedicated I need to be to succeed. Before golf, I was not nearly as dedicated to improving my technique as I am now.

I always hope to improve both my dancing and my golf game. I am positive that, moving forward, I will find new ways to use golf and dance to my advantage. I will never stop golfing, and I will never stop dancing, because I could never choose which one I liked better.