Hellooo, My name is Sophie Arram, I am a 17 year old theatre student from South London and I am passionate about dance.
I started classes at the age of three and have continued dancing ever since. I study many styles including ballet, tap, contemporary, modern but my favourite is Jazz.
Dancing makes me feel powerful, energised and alert. It is escapism from all my worries. Not only does it keep me active, it helps me to feel more grounded and focused. When I am in a class I feel completely concentrated, my whole attention is on the movement, I am always looking to become better, it is a work in process but every small achievement feels so rewarding.
I think that dance has helped me to build a greater relationship and awareness of my body, I have learnt about eating healthy foods that nourish and provide me with the energy I need to move, but I also feel more in touch with my body, I think that dancing builds a confidence within me that I wouldn’t usually have.
I like dance because it is sometimes technical and difficult, but I love to challenge myself & test my limits. One of the best feelings in the world is coming out of a dance lesson completely drained but buzzing with excitement.
Dance is poetry in motion, it is passion, it is pain, it is every emotion you could ever feel combined into movement.
A lot of people don’t understand dance, they think it is just girls in tutus standing at a barre or people in nude leotards throwing random shapes, but it is so much more than that. Dance is communication when words aren’t enough.
I feel extremely grateful that I have had the chance to be able to study dance, and I believe everyone should have the opportunity to learn a style. I find that dance can be therapeutic; it is a way to release emotional energy and also have a laugh.
I’m not sure if I want to go into the professional dance industry, but at the moment I am just enjoying myself, I’m learning and I’m messing up, I’m discovering new techniques and creating new movements. It is creative and expressive and most importantly it makes me happy!
Here’s a poem I wrote:
Dance is the life breathing within us,
It is a flame with each footstep,
A spark in every shuffle
It is the passion in your eyes that the voice cannot project
It is the stillness in the movement.
Dance is sexy, seductive, subtle and soft
It is intricate and elaborate
It is the sweat and the tears and the blood and the pain
It is dancing like nobody’s watching
It’s that one song that throws you off your seat
It is joy and celebration
It is poetry in motion
