How dance healed my teen insecurity

    Last week, I noticed that my 14-year-old cousin was experiencing adolescent body image anxiety. This reminds me that during my adolescence, I also experienced adolescent insecurity due to my appearance.

    During my adolescence, my thick calves and slightly overweight figure would draw ridicule from taller and slimmer girls of the same age. Therefore, I feel extremely ashamed of showing off my body, and I even avoid looking in the mirror. Later, I walked into a dance studio. The mirror that had once frightened me transformed into a path leading to confidence. At first, I was stiff and clumsy when facing the dynamic music, and my movements were silly. I was afraid of being laughed at by others. But my dance teacher would gently encourage me. What impressed me most was the saying: "Look in the mirror and the best version of yourself is the one with the correct posture." After that, I worked hard at practicing, sometimes even until late at night. I began to no longer view my body as the source of shame.

I kept practicing in the dance studio late into the night, Friday, May.2th, 2023.[Photo/Jiayi Peng]

    During the repetitive dance training sessions, I discovered muscles that I had never known before. I once thought that my thick calves represented my unlimited potential. One day, I discovered that I could stand in the spotlight with a smile on my face and no longer be afraid or evade. I am proud of my powerful and graceful posture. I am not subject to the appearance anxiety and insecurity that come with adolescence.

I performed confidently on my own during the school show, Sunday, Oct.12th, 2023.[Photo/Jiayi Peng]

    

    Dancing has rewritten the script of my life. Nowadays, in addition to my studies, I also take on the part-time job of a dance teacher in my spare time. I have also come across many teenagers who are afraid of being criticized and afraid to show their bodies. I will repeat what my teacher once said, "Look in the mirror and the best version of yourself is the one with the correct posture."

The school offered me a job as a dance instructor, Tuseday, Apr.15th, 2025.[Photo/Jiayi Peng]

I watched them become increasingly confident, just like I used to be. This made me realize that sometimes a simple hobby can save the self-esteem of many teenagers in their adolescence.