Older Version of Myself

I woke up to the sound of my alarm ringing. The date was April 11, 2026, and my team and I would be competing against other teams at a regional dance competition. This competition will determine if we get a golden ticket, a ticket given to group dances that the judges believe should dance for nationals, to participate in the World Dance Challenge. I packed my bags and got

ready to practice with my group a few times before the competition. On the wall across the room, I saw a painting of five dancers. Each dancer was gradually taller than the other. The shortest one is in the front and the tallest one is in the back of the picture. To me, the painting is a symbol of growing up. They all had the same hairstyle, a slickback bun. The youngest version of the dancer is looking at the door with nervous body language. Either admiring the older version herself or scared to walk into the classroom. She stands in the back of the line and stands out from the rest with her blue leotard. Maybe it is her first time dancing? Is she worried about meeting new people? The oldest girl in the front of the line is confident and opens the door to walk inside, showing that she is familiar with the dance studio. This painting made me reflect on my journey with dance. I have been dancing at this studio for around 6 years. I remember being like the girl in the blue, shy and scared to walk through the door. Now I am the oldest girl

opening the door ready to start dance class. We finished class and drove to the

competition. After I stepped through the doors to the backstage area, the only goal I had for myself was for my younger self to be proud of the oldest version of myself.