"Dance is important to everyone at some point. Not everyone will take dance classes or become a ballerina or dance on Broadway. But, most everyone dances with their newborn child, has that first dance at their wedding, everyone has a dance story in their life.

 

       These are the shoes that I still use to teach new aspiring ballerinas how to properly lace/tie their first pointe shoes on their first day of pointe class. I have been using this same demonstration pair for students for 27 years.

 

       These shoes are a representation of the dreams I once had for myself and the dreams I hope to give other dancers. When I look at these shoes, I feel myself moving along a stage effortlessly, gracefully and without a care in the world. Even though I have not danced in these shoes in 30 years, I can never forget the feeling of dancing in them ..feeling that the world was my stage.

 

       I feel like these shoes represent grace and beauty. Grace and beauty is something that everyone needs in their life

 

       Dancing gave me confidence, gave me a way to express my emotions through movement and gave me the foundation to having my dream job today. I started choreographing my own pointe solos at the age of 13 to take to competitions and that laid the groundwork to becoming a choreographer. Putting on my pointe shoes always made me feel beautiful.

 

       Don't Judge your neighbor until you've walked a mile in their shoes means empathy. We need to show empathy to everyone's feelings, situations, and circumstances. It means that we need to learn to put a hand on someone's shoulder and say that we are there for them even if we don't always feel the same way."

 

-Christine Cliff