"It encourages me to be the best I can be"
As all children do, our son tried out various extracurricular activities and pastimes. His favourite was swimming and an after-school dance club once a week. A school friend recommended he join her at her Freestyle dance school. He was nervous about starting but was absolutely hooked after one lesson. A few weeks later he competed in his first slow competition as an U10 beginner in Walsall and won.
We supported him from the off, delighted that he had found a passion that he could commit to and a talent that he has developed over the years. The highs and lows, especially the lows, of being a competitive dancer have taught him many life-lessons...talent can only take you so far and that consistent, hard work is critical for success and that training is as essential as competing to name a few. We feel his dance experience has taught him the importance of commitment, respect, teamwork and resilience - all of which are positively contributing to making him the well-rounded and mature young adult he is becoming.
As a parent it has been hard to watch our son have to deal with the negative attention that being a boy who dances brings. We have encouraged him to ignore it and to get on. We have taught him that the problem is that those kids (and yes, sadly some adults) who question why a boy would dance are their problem and not his.
Our son is lucky. He found a dance school and teachers who couldn't be more supportive and encouraging. As parents we can't thank them enough for the commitment, friendship and mentoring they have shown and continue to show him. Our question is "Why wouldn't a boy dance?".
Sarah & Chris, Wilf's parents.