Ever since I was a child, I've wanted to dance.
Growing up, I felt like dance was always around me. From my obsession with dance-related TV and movies like Dance Moms and High School Musical to watching artists like Britney Spears and BTS perform their music on stage with choreography. It made me say, “I want to do that.” Yet I never followed through on this interest and let it pass as another thought, even though it was constantly there.
During 2021, while in quarantine, I took my first small step in my dance journey. Locked in my room by myself, I learned K-Pop choreography from groups like ITZY and TXT on YouTube on my small laptop, finding comfort in the confinement, not overthinking it, and having fun in the process. I never thought my dancing would see the light of day beyond my room.
One of my first vivid memories of coming to UC Berkeley was seeing a dance performance on campus. It was a few days before the start of my freshman year, and I was passing through Hass Pavilion with my friends; a large crowd lined the stairs, so much that people were even sitting on the floor. What intrigued me was hearing a K-Pop song in the distance that people were dancing to. Curious, I followed the noise and cheers and sat down to watch.
I was surprised to see students dancing to K-pop choreography, not knowing it would be so popular on my college campus, as it was to me. I felt excited. However, once the K-pop group finished, the performances continued. Other dance teams were doing hip-hop and open-style choreography. The crowd was loud and supportive, and the synergy amongst them and the dancers was contagious. I left that performance in awe, energized in my own way because of what I had just seen. That was my first exposure to the UC Berkeley dance community and culture.
However, I was still nervous about participating myself. I liked watching from afar and was inspired to dance like the people I saw on stage, but I couldn't imagine myself doing it in front of others.
That same semester, one of my close friends invited me to her dance showcase. It was called the AFX Showcase, which I would later learn is one of UC Berkeley's biggest annual dance showcases, held each semester. It was held in Zellerbach Hall, our campus's 1,000-seat auditorium that feels like something out of a movie. With a large stage and lights, I watched most of Berkeley's dance teams perform their semester pieces for a packed audience. After that showcase, I knew I wanted to be one of those people on stage.
The next semester, I stayed true to my dreams. I got familiar with some of the beginner-friendly dance teams on campus, including LUXX, a K-pop dance team and the first team I ever danced with at Berkeley, and AFX, a beginner-to-intermediate-level team. The biggest thing for me was getting comfortable performing in front of people, whether it was a small or large group; I had never done it before, and it was terrifying.
My first semesters on these teams gave me the opportunity to learn from other experienced students, instructors, and others with the same dance experience as me.
I had always thought it was too late to fulfill this lifelong interest, because I was already in my late teens and had almost no dance background. Coming to UC Berkeley and becoming familiar with the dance organizations on campus completely changed my perspective.
I soon learned that dance teams existed at every level on campus, from beginning to intermediate to competitive. This made me feel comfortable starting out and working towards goals to improve myself as a dancer.
I have grown tremendously from freshman to senior. I moved from AFX training teams to project teams, and then to dancing with teams I had admired from afar for so long, like Glamity and The 510. Even now, I can not believe I am finally on my way to becoming the dancer I dreamt of as a child, and that I have the opportunity to do so in so many different and meaningful ways. Most cherished of all, I feel proud of myself for taking the initiative to do what I've wanted to do for so long. Once terrified of my beginner status and worried about how I might compare to others, I took that big step to make my dreams a reality.
My dance journey at Berkeley has been one of my most transformative and memorable college experiences. As I gained confidence in myself, I met some of my closest friends and made the best memories along the way. My college dance experience has been a stepping stone in my growth as a dancer and has opened doors to even more opportunities as I continue after college. And I am so grateful that UC Berkeley is where I was able to begin :)
Author: Mariah Bravo
hii!! my name is mariah bravo and i am 4th year studying educational sciences and english! writing has always been my favorite and most vulnerable form of self expression ever since i can remember learning how to write. their are so many topics i would love to talk about on the Bear Talk blog from my memories and involvement in college at berkeley to my own personal experiences in life. i can't wait to share it with you all! :)