Washington Rock Dance is not an ordinary dance training facility. As a rising senior in a BFA program for dance, I still feel deeply connected to my roots in this school. The faculty at WRD are professional and personable, and provide students with the unique opportunity to experience the realities of the concert dance field while exploring their artistic voices at a young age. If it weren’t for my experiences growing up in this environment, I don’t believe I would be the dancer or artist I am today. My teachers here helped me every step of the way in my training and artistic growth, and had my best interests in mind while walking me through every step of the daunting college audition process. If I had attended any other facility, I may never have believed that I had a place in this field at all. WRD introduced me to the breadth and possibility within the dance world. Not only did my mentorship here prepare me incredibly well for the challenges of university dance, but it shaped me as a person. Whether or not someone intends to create a career and life out of dance, WRD shapes students to be art appreciators and lovers for the rest of their lives. In doing so, these teachers create empathetic, intelligent and compassionate human beings through a rare, intimate, and kinesthetic connection to the community developed at WRD. In the past few years, I grew to appreciate the power art has to create amazing communities, and Kelli, Blair and Cleo have created a very special community here in New Jersey that I will always feel grateful and attached to, no matter where my life and career may lead me. -LD