Visual Gratitude #26: Art

In college I studied dance. While potentially making a HUGE sweeping generalization, I would say a large percentage of American parents simply shudder at the idea of their child studying dance in college. My parents definitely hated the idea. They'd constantly prod me with, "What will you ever do with a degree in dance?"

Of course I don't dance now and most likely won't be deeply involved with dance ever again, but I am grateful for the time I spent studying dance and the opportunities that came my way because of dance. I am also grateful for the amazing information that was offered to me through my studies in dance about the world around me. Not only is (most) dance, and other forms of (most) art, beautiful and visually or audibly interesting, but art is a wonderful tool to help people express their emotions and communicate with the world around them.
In high school I was introduced to modern dance. I always loved dancing as a child but up until high school I hadn't received any "technical" training. Of course I was your typical angsty teenager who thought she had a whole lot of expressing to do at the ripe old age of 16. And although I really did not have a whole lot to be upset about considering I was a very privileged white girl from suburbia, dance gave me an outlet to express myself in a way that I had never been able to. After high school I was lucky enough to continue working with dance students in the same studio in which I learned about Martha Graham and Alvin Ailey. It is absolutely incredible how dance, drawing, music, theater, photography, and other various forms of art help kids, as well as people of all ages, through challenging times. It's not always greatly utilized, funded, or appreciated in
American culture, but I think everyone could use a little more art in their lives.