5 Things Dance Marathon Made Me Appreciate:
1. My bed
In between blocks, dancers found makeshift spaces for some brief shut-eye by leaning on each other or against walls, curling up on a chair and even laying down in the auditorium aisles. Already by the third block, my stiff, twin-sized dorm bed sounded heavenly.
2. Cleanliness
I still haven’t decided which worse- the sweat dripping from the ceiling or the repugnant stench of the dancers themselves.
3. Getting food (in a civilized manner)
Praise to the food committee and Dancer Relations for providing great snacks to sustain the dancers. When the food ushered into the tent, though, it seemed the dancers turned into the animals they were dressed up as, crazily grabbing and clinging to what they could get their paws on.
4. Getting to go to the bathroom
It always seems to happen that the moment you’re not allowed to go to the restroom, you suddenly have to go. Unfortunately, it wasn’t just a matter of waiting your turn visit the bathroom, but also waiting for an escort to lead you there. The rule was lifted during Block 10, and it was certainly liberating to walk there all on my own, sans chaperone.
5. Standing
Yes, we were all standing for the majority of DM, but it was during the short breaks that we sat down and realized just how sore our legs were. Dancers lay with legs up against walls to relieve the pressure on their feet. Maybe we were too tired or having too much fun dancing to notice the pain when standing in the tent.
But more than my own soreness, the smiling little boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy on stage made me realize just how lucky I am that I can stand. As the disorder weakens their muscles, they may eventually need braces or wheelchairs. The record $1,285,273 that Dance Marathon raised will help boys like Joseph Penrod in the fight to defeat Duchenne. That’s something to be proud of and something to stand for.