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The Power of Dance

Madeline Thornton Student Contributor, St. Bonaventure University
This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at SBU chapter and does not reflect the views of Her Campus.

Some back story, I am a chronic over-thinker. If I think something is wrong, I will overanalyze every single part, from what you said to how your body was moving whilst speaking. I will go over it so much in my mind that I could recite it frontwards, backwards, and sideways.

But there are often small moments and times when my brain stops.

With my mom and brother, my best friends, and when I am in the gym.

But now, I can add another time to the list.

This weekend was my cousin’s wedding; it was absolutely beautiful. If anyone knows, CoCo and Pat know that CoCo brings the fun. She is an absolute light of a human, always smiling and laughing.

With that, of course, the wedding was fun, and people danced all night long.

My cousin, her dad, my mom, and I danced the last half of the night away. My feet have never hurt in such a good way until this night. It brought me back to the middle school dances when I didn’t care and was living life to the fullest.

My brain also wasn’t with me. I wasn’t thinking beyond laughing at others and myself, and just having fun.

The moment my mind stopped, I could pinpoint it. All of a sudden, I wasn’t worried if I looked fat or if there were people I wanted to impress. I was free from the words of my brain.

So now, I can add a to the list of times when my brain stops.

With my mom and my brother, my best friends, when I am at the gym and dancing.

The moment flies by, but when looking back, I can find it. The world stops spinning. My only thought is about what is happening in front of me. I’m not worried about how I look or feel, but only care about this moment.

It almost feels the same as falling in love, bringing your new pet home for the first time, or getting that job that you have wanted for years.

The moments in time you want to bottle up to keep forever.

They are the core and happy memories that you play when you need a break from time going on.

This power of dance has shown me that even in things where I don’t normally enjoy myself, I can move through them and find enjoyment.

Hopefully, one day, my brain will shut off and I will find enjoyment in every moment of life.

Madeline Thornton is the Big and Little Coordinater for the St. Bonaventure Her Campus Chapter. She writes pieces that focus on girlhood, campus life, reading and a multitude of other interests. These pieces will range from fun and lighthearted, to some more thought provoking and heart tugging. She hopes to grow the sisterhood bonds with the Big and Little Program as well as her creativity within her writing.

Madeline is currently a sophomore Psychology major with a minor in Business Administration minor. Madeline not only spends a lot of time dedicated to Her Campus, but also around campus with being a Student Ambassador, working in St. Bonaventure’s Financial Aid office, a Resident Assistant, and being a part of multiple other clubs: Empower, Book Club, Psychology Club, Women in Business and ENACTUS.

Away from her academics, Madeline spends her time reading, working out, and hanging out with her friends and family. She has two cats, Clara and Caliope. She loves anything that could be put into a romance genre, from books, movies and more! Lastly, she loves to grab a sweet treat, her favorite ice cream is Grasshopper Pie, it tastes better than the name, she promises! She works at an ice cream shop over the summer, so she will never say no to a sweet treat!