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psalms 23:6💐
cchs ‘28
columbia dance academy

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“Dance, dance, dance into eternity. Amen”

For the past 16 years, dance has been a part of my life. I don’t remember a time when dance wasn’t a part of me, it has shaped me into the person I am today. I remember being a little girl in colorful tutus watching the older girls perform their dances; I always looked up to them and dreamed about being like them one day. Now that I am one of the older girls, all I want is to go back to being one of those little girls.

Dance has been there through all of the trials in my life. It was there when I was at my lowest and it was there when I was as happy as I could be. It has been my way of coping and expressing emotions. My lyrical and jazz teacher Mrs. Niki helped me over the last year in more ways than I can even describe and I am forever grateful for her!!

Dance also gave me my best friend. @portiacarter23 thank you for being one of my biggest supporters and for being my best friend. I have no idea what I would do without you. You have truly helped me through so much and words cannot describe how much you mean to me!! @anna.neas28 thank you for being so supportive of me, you never fail to cheer me on. I am so grateful to have such an amazing best friend!!

Over the last two years of dance I was able to understudy in 8 different amazing classes!! Each student has taught me a lesson or impacted my life in their own ways!! I even saw myself in a few of the students!! I pray I impacted their lives in any sort of way, I pray I helped grow their love for dance, and I pray they know Miss Mallory is so proud of them!!

Thank you to my mom for signing me up for dance so many years ago, for all that you have poured into my dancing, for being my own personal photographer, for teaching me how to do my makeup and bun, and for loving dance just as much as I do!! This would have never been possible if it wasn’t for you!! I love you BIG!!

Thank you @columbia_dance for being so great to me, for countless memories, for my dance family, for being my greatest support system, and for giving me my passion for dance!! Words cannot describe how much this studio means to me!!

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To say I’m heartbroken would be an understatement. I’ve spent the last 9 months trying to prepare myself for leaving CDA, but now that it’s here, I still can’t fully put it into words. Because CDA was never just dance to me. It was home and I’m left with a gut wrenching sadness knowing it will never go back to how it was.
I’ll miss the stage lights and costumes, but what I’ll miss most are the moments no one else saw ,the late nights at the studio, the stressful quick changes, the exhausted laughter, praying before going on stage, and dancing beside the girls who became my second family. But more than anything, I’ll miss the way dancing made me feel, and understand my emotions in a way nothing else could.

These girls have been such a huge part of my life and my heart. Growing up together through dance creates a bond that’s hard to explain, and I’ll always be grateful for every memory, laugh, hug, and moment we shared. Thank you for the friendships, encouragement, inside jokes, tears, memories, and love during some of the most important years of my life.

Dance is all I have been for the last 15 years and I’m not sure I really know I am without it. But I do know I’m just so incredibly thankful for it all, my sisters, the kids I understand, the ability to dance, and my teachers, who never gave up on me and never let me give up, even when my mind was telling me otherwise.

I walked into CDA as a little girl who loved dance, and I’m leaving with a heart that has been completely changed.
Thank you, CDA, for loving me so well. A piece of my heart will always belong to Columbia Dance Academy wherever I may go. And I’ll always come back home. Forever in my heart, but also so deeply a part of my soul💗

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favorite people !! 💝

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Cheers to one last recital week with my best friends!!🥂🪩🩰🩵💐

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Soaking up every last moment with my people!!! But still so ready for you @olemiss 🩵🤍❤️ a very happy grad party!!!

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I’m so incredibly blessed to be surrounded by so many wonderful people!!! My grad party was more than I could image, so much love for everyone who came!!Graduation in 19 days!! 🩷🤍🎓🤍🩵 #gobucs🏴‍☠️

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a little blonde moment 4 u 🫶🏼

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#nashville #hairstylist #hair #nashvillehair #nashvillehairsalon #hairsalon #salon #midtown #blondehair #balayage #nashvilleblonde #highlights #nashvillehairstylist #houseofpalm

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“But when you get the choice to sit it out or dance, I hope you dance”
I’ve always loved to dance but this year brought out something new in me, a stronger love and an ever stronger passion. I never want to not dance. I’m filled with so much pride for not only my AMAZING seniors but for all my understudy kids, I cannot begin to describe how proud I am of all of them and how much I love all of them. All of my understudy kids are little bundles of joy and I pray they continue to dance and love it as much as I do. And to my seniors, thank you. You have all been my biggest inspirations since we were young and I can’t believe we won’t dance together again, I don’t want to believe it. I can’t wait to see all the incredible things you will all do, I love you and I pray love will follow you wherever you go. I hope I make you proud. And finally to the teachers who have made me into the dancer I am, I cannot thank you enough, your constant love and support has pushed me forward through all the ups and downs. God truly blessed me by putting me at CDA with all the girls, and the people who have fostered my love and made it stronger ( I’m talking about the teachers but also my parents ofc ) And finally thank you to God for it all. Here’s to one more year at the place I love most 🤍

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