Success is a funny concept.
We all chase it, reach for it, dream of it—but how do we measure what it means to be successful? How is it that we can feel that someone else is somehow a master of their success and decide whether or not we have achieved ours?
The definition of success, according to dictionary.com, is “the accomplishment of an aim or purpose,” but in practice, it gets more complicated than that. It actually only starts with setting our aims.
Prestige Dance Academy dancers might remember that, at the beginning of the year, our STEP team asked dancers to list three goals they had for the 2024 – 2025 dance season. The goals submitted were lofty. They required stepping out of our comfort zones, pushing ourselves past our longstanding physical limits, and choosing to believe in our abilities.
And our dancers did not disappoint.
While every year we are astounded by the sheer talent and willpower behind each and every one of our dancers, the growth this year has topped the charts. The grit required to smash the goals that they set is unbelievable. Still, there were some physical goals that haven’t gotten their checkmark quite yet; does that mean we were not successful this year?
No.
Like we said, success is a funny concept. While its definition may sway us to think that setting a goal and then crossing it off our list is the only way to be successful, in real life, plans change—and that’s a good thing.
Oftentimes, we set our goals based on a metric of comparison, sourced from the information we have at that time. We wish we could do something our friends can do, or we think that they are the natural next steps to our development as dancers. These aims are wonderful, and they catapult us in the right direction. Through time, growth, and experience, however, we may learn that there are better opportunities along the way. What may have started out as a physical challenge at the beginning of the year truly turned into a social, emotional, and mental journey for many of our dancers.
Our May STEP team question was “what are you most proud of yourself for this year?” and we were taken on a journey with our dancers’ responses.
Of course they are proud of checking new skills of the list, but that’s not all:
They are proud of how many friends they made.
They are proud that they learned patience and how to take corrections.
They are proud that they kept their head high when they felt low.
They are proud that they kept on trying.
We are proud too. Immeasurably so. We truly are in awe of each of you.
At the end of another stunning, successful dance season, the whole Prestige Team could not be prouder of our phenomenal dancers, dedicated parents, and overall supportive community. You have given us a true measurement of success that we will carry with us always.
Your goals may get derailed, altered, or upgraded, but what truly counts as success is all the little pieces of yourself you found along the way. Maybe that’s hard to see at the end of the day–it’s certainly not as easy to share as a trophy–but it’s far, far more valuable.
Have a wonderful summer, Prestige family. Thank you for another incredible year.