I’ve been attending the studio for almost 5 years, and sometimes it doesn’t feel like it! It feels both like I just started yesterday and also that it was forever ago! It’s crazy to think how much time has passed since I first started at Aerial Dance. I have gone from a beginner level poler to the extreme level pole classes, but I’ve also gained a lot of confidence and changed mindsets during that time too. There are still activities, and events that Aerial Dance puts on that I want to participate in or haven’t tried yet, and there are so many more women in the studio that I want to meet. I want to try and go to the Green Bay studio more and take classes there and meet more new people. 

I’ve been able to grow a lot during my time at the studio so far. I’ve definitely gotten stronger and it makes me want to continue getting stronger! I’ve also grown in confidence at the studio. There are things that I’m not good at yet, or still learning to do, but when I’m at the studio, I’m not afraid to try and possibly fail. Since a lot of things we do are hard or complicated, there are a lot of things that you may not get on your first try. There are things that I need to continue working on. I could maybe get a certain pole move one class and then try it again at a practice and not have it that day. Even though I may not get a certain move every time, I know how to practice, or what I need to stretch to be able to get it. 

Just like practicing at the studio, and getting stronger or getting more moves, I’ve also noticed a change in how I carry myself outside the studio. Looking back to when I first started, I kept to myself for the most part, afraid to speak up or ask questions both in the studio and outside the studio at work for instance. Through the constant support and challenges of the studio, I’ve noticed that I carry myself with more confidence and am more willing to speak up when I have a question about something. Both at the studio and in my personal life. The studio has helped me be more comfortable being myself, speaking up, and doing what I want to do. It’s still a work in progress of course, but when I look back, I’m really proud of myself and the woman I’ve become so far.