How Dance Teaches Brody to Be Himself

It’s hard to imagine a time when Brody wasn’t dancing. Sometimes I think he probably came into the world on his tiptoes and I just don’t remember. But when he was a toddler, dance seemed to take a hold over him that I’d never seen before. It was like Brody came to life—one twirl and life was in rainbow colors. In that moment, he’s complete, wildly free, and happy. 

Since then, dance has taken on a much more serious role, with professional classes, rehearsals, and competitions. But no matter what’s at stake or what’s on schedule, one thing never changes: when he’s moving, Brody is his truest self. I think it was always there, but seeing how dance has encouraged him to be himself has been the most inspiring thing. I hope it will leave you feeling a little more inspired, too.

From Free Dancing to Foundational Dancing

There’s something to be said about the freedom that comes with just letting loose and grooving to the beat of your own drum. That’s something that not even dance could teach Brody. It’s been ingrained in him since birth, something he just comes by naturally. But dance is the tool he uses to express it. Even before we enrolled him in classes, whenever he was happy, anxious, or anything in between, he looked to dance. 

I think a lot of this also came from Brody seeing Dylan dance, too. He’d tag along to rehearsals or shows and see just how happy Dylan was when she was dancing. When you see someone doing something they love, it’s hard to just sit on the sidelines and stay still. For Brody, I think he saw that there was a creative outlet to something he’d already been feeling inside. 

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Confidence Through Practice

When we put him in classes, I worried a bit over whether he’d still find joy in it once it was something he was actively working on, versus something he did for fun. Thankfully, it wasn’t the case. Somehow he became even more in love with dancing! (I didn’t think it was possible but here we are!)

I also noticed a huge difference in how he perceived and believed in himself. He’s always been authentically Brody, but I think dance has taught him some really strong tools in investing in yourself and building self-confidence. Even when it’s hard or competitive, every time he takes the stage, Brody is tapping into his inner strength and abilities. He relies on himself to remember the moves, to point his toes, and to bring that inner emotion to his outward performance. Everything is there, but he has to be the one to believe in himself to pull it out. It’s pretty beautiful to watch. 

Finding Yourself Through Your Passions

The biggest thing I’ve learned from watching Brody dance is that it’s never too late (or in his case, too early!) to pursue your passions. And when you do, you’ll discover more about yourself than you ever knew. Brody loved to dance, he knew it made him feel good. But it wasn’t until he really started investing in his classes and taking it seriously that he really started to uncover who he was. I think it’s something he’s still discovering today and will continue to do throughout the rest of his time dancing.

It’s such a personal and expressive art form, literally using your body to move and make shapes and express emotion. It’s no wonder that when he starts to dance, it’s almost like seeing directly into his soul: unabashedly joyous, happy, and 1000% real. 

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