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Ashley Banico
Professor Santos
EN110-17
Essay 4 Final Draft
September 22, 2023
Being Afraid Will Keep You in the Shade
Have you ever had something that you were always scared of? I did. The one thing I was
scared to try was joining a dance team. It was my first time auditioning for something in my
entire life. Though it was terrifying, it changed my life in many ways. It led me to experience
new things, to always be confident, and to believe that practice makes perfect.
No matter what team or club anyone joins, you get to experience a lot of new things. You
may even find out that it is what you want to do for the rest of your life. In all my years of being
in school, I have never tried out for a team or club. Most people are terrified to join a sports
team, book club, film club, etc. For me, it was a dance team in high school. In my junior year of
high school, I had heard about an audition for the dance team. I wanted to audition, but the
thought of not getting in made me second-guess auditioning. Until I was forced to join by one of
my close friends. I made it to the dance team, and it was the most life-changing thing ever. For
the first time, I got to experience dancing on stage in front of many people, joining competitions,
meeting new people, and dancing at other schools. It opened up many opportunities for me like
joining an actual dance team outside of school, getting to meet new people, and finding what I
love to do. It made me realize that I love dancing and that I want to pursue it in the future. Don’t
be afraid to try out new things for you may miss out on different experiences.
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Throughout my time on the dance team, I learned to be confident. It was hard for me at
first since I was always shy and I kept to myself. I got through my shyness by always being
prepared, taking breathing exercises, and relaxing. We had many performances at school, outside
events, and even competitions. Being nervous is something we can’t control, and what we will
always feel. However, I learned to manage it. Before performance day, I would prepare by going
over the set and fixing any mistakes I had. Next, I would calm myself down by inhaling and
exhaling while thinking positively. Lastly, I would relax my body, stretch, and get enough sleep.
These strategies helped me to be confident and do well on stage. These can also help with
anyone feeling nervous whether it be going on stage, talking to someone, or presenting for
school. Having confidence brings out the best in people. It shows each and every one of our
greatest abilities without having any worries.
Besides being confident, practice is always key. Practicing something like dancing,
writing, speaking, doing any sport, etc. makes you better. An example is when we had our
competition for our last year in high school. We started practicing eight months before
competition day. We practiced non-stop just for us to get that win. On comp day, we performed
well and confidently, which led us to get first place in all categories. I learned that I wouldn’t be
good in the beginning and I had to practice to get where I wanted to be. It goes with being on a
sports team, at school, at work, and any other life activities. Practicing makes you better at what
you do.
There is always something we are afraid to try. Joining a dance team was terrifying for
me. It has always been my passion, but I was afraid to join a team. However, I am glad I took a
step forward to pursue that. It was not only my passion, but I learned something from it as well.
Being scared to try something different is horrifying, but I experienced new things in my life, I
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learned how to be confident in myself, and that practice will help me become better at what I do.
It doesn’t matter what activity, hobby, sport, or club you join, you should step out of your
comfort zone. You get to learn how to be confident and try something new.