Extra Taps Blog

Serendipity

As an adjunct professor of English, serendipity is one of my favorite words. I love both the way it sounds as it rolls of the tongue and its meaning – “a happy accident,” or “fortunate mistake.”

Serendipity is what led me to Addicted 2 Dance so many years ago and I will be forever grateful.

Having just moved into the area, leaving behind teaching at a studio I loved because it was now too far away, I searched for studios nearby. It was August and far too late to expect to teach dance that fall, but I love dance – it’s at the heart of who I’ve been since I was three years old and who I’ve become since, so I sought out to make the best of my move and return to simply taking classes for a while.

I walked into the lobby area of A2D simply hoping to take an adult ballet class. “Miss Aubrey” Conley was sitting in the studio and was her usual welcoming self. After talking for two minutes, she realized I wasn’t just another student seeking classes and I knew A2D was not just another dance studio.

The passion and absolute joy with which Aubrey spoke about her business and the A2D family she was creating was honest, engaging and infectious. Before she finished telling me about the studio and her philosophy for helping her dancers become not only the best artists, but the best young people they could be, I knew this was someplace special. I was humbled to have simply walked into this AMAZING space for students to live out their love for dance and for teachers to truly share their knowledge, experience, and raw love for this art form.

Now, so many years later, I know that my finding A2D may have seemed serendipitous, but really was no accident.

Like so many of the teachers here, I know this is where I’m meant to teach. I am beyond grateful to be a part of this family and to have the privilege to interact with all of our wonderful dancers each week. Their dedication, growth, passion and joy are awe-inspiring, motivating me to strive to greater heights in my own teaching and dancing!