I broke my big toe and was promptly cast in two principal roles. To this day, I still wonder what was going through my artistic directors' minds when they sent out that Sleeping Beauty cast list. I was expecting an understudy role, or possibly a corps de ballet position that had an understudy in case I wasn't healed in time. With little to no expectations, I opened the casting document and sat in shock for five minutes. I had been cast as both the Lilac Fairy and Aurora. After my shock, I was ecstatic, screaming for my mom to come look and cheering about my first principal roles. Then, the panic began to set in. The show was in two months, and I wasn't set to get out of my orthopedic boot for one month. This would give me just a few weeks to regain my strength en pointe, actually practice the role, and also learn how to partner for the first time in preparation for both the Vision Scene and the Aurora & Prince pas de deux. Skipping ahead to the week before the show, my pointe work was beginning to feel less shaky. I had my first partnering rehearsal, and despite my nerves, everything went really well, with my partner reminding me to breathe and my friends supporting me. To my surprise, even my strictest artistic director seemed to let out a breath of relief. The show itself went smoothly, and I had the most fun with my friends, teachers, and supporters in the audience. It was the week after the show, however, that I truly began to realize how much those crazy past two months had shaped me as a person. Stress is inevitable in this discipline, but the way that I worked through my injury and mindset showed me the true beauty of being part of the dance world. Conditioning myself outside of the studio was important, but the most helpful thing I discovered was how the community rose up and rallied me to the finish line. It certainly was not a perfect performance, but it was strong, and the audience enjoyed it. Any dancer will tell you that perfection is unreachable, but having my dance family around me, all people who share my passion and who will push me to get better, makes it so worth it. The idea that you cannot reach perfection does not sound inspiring at first, but it is genuinely one of the most motivating things I have learned from being a part of this community. It has taught me from a young age to always continue striving for a better version of my product, regardless of what discipline I am in. In my schoolwork, this has directly translated into me taking more time in the revising and editing portions of major written assignments. In my part-time jobs, this has led me to become incredibly detail-oriented and organized. In my leadership, I have learned that there is always room for improvement and feedback is important. Without the intense situations I face on a day-to-day basis in the studio, I wouldn't be the passionate dancer, focused student, and driven person that I am today. Dance has opened so many different paths for me to choose from. I can't wait to fully immerse myself in continuing my dance training as well as majoring in chemistry.