We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Virginia Crouse . We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Virginia below.

Hi Virginia , thanks for joining us today. What was one of the most important lessons you learned in school? Why did that lesson stick with you?

A lesson that was hard and is still hard for me to comprehend is that no matter how hard you work for a goal or achievement people will not always be happy for you and people will try to tear you down before even attempting to learn your story. One of my biggest achievements as a dancer was being a top 12 contestant on season 17 of So You Think You Can Dance and it’s still a so real thing for me to think back on, but many people were angry and unhappy that I achieved this goal of mine that I’ve had since I was a little girl. Many “friends” I’ve made were never truly supportive of my dreams and aspirations and since then I’ve cut ties to create a more positive path for myself and although it hurts to understand most people won’t be happy to celebrate your successes I still am always showing support and love to every dancer and person I come into contact with because I believe everyone deserves someone to cheer them on. Jealousy is a huge part of my industry and it’s always hard being close with an Individual and realizing they never truly wanted you to grow and flourish into the person and artist you could be. I’ve learned to always shine as much light onto everyone because you never know who might be in a shadow and being that light of positivity could help them shine brighter and grow with you.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I started dancing at age 10, which is a later start than most dancers as dancers typically start when they are 2 years of age. I fell head over heels for dance and poured my entire heart and soul into every class and opportunity I was given.
Dance was a blessing in disguise as it was never just a hobby for me it was always a source of comfort and a safe place for me. I grew up in a rough house hold and it didn’t get better as a grew older so dance really became a way for me to escape the reality of my home and I clung to dance and music as tightly as I could and still do to this day.
I began teaching at 18 years old and the gratitude and love I have for teaching almost matched the love I have for dance itself.
Teaching gives a new meaning to dance for me as it’s not just a self focused goal it’s a shared one with my students.
The reward watching my students find their artistry and completed goals it’s a joy that will fill my heart until the end of time. My students mean the world to me and I will always be their biggest cheerleader and number 1 fan when I watch them grow as dancers and human.

We’d love to hear a story of resilience from your journey.

Dance is an extremely expensive sport and art form. I do not come from a lot of wealth and so I learned very quickly if I wanted something I had to work hard for it.
I would clean houses and studios, babysit and teach loads of dance lessons a day and every penny I made went straight back to my studio to afford the cost of classes.
I always fought for dance and always advocated for it when I was presented the option to quit because of the expenses and that it’s was just too much.
This set back helped me appreciate how valuable each dance class I would take was and how important it was to never take a moment for granted when in the studio or at dance competitions.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

As a competitive dancer I was taught to view everything as a competition and winning was the number one goal and if you did not win then you gained nothing. As a kid I took competitions and awards to heart and truly though that if I didn’t win 1st place then all of my hard work was meant nothing.
When I got older and especially when I started teaching I realized how wrong those lessons and mindsets were because they weren’t even close to the truth. Dance takes hours and years to “perfect” and no one will ever be perfect at it and that’s the beautiful thing about it, it’s an ever growing and expanding art form.
We spend hours in the studio rehearsing routine after routine drilling every movement and style to then go compete our 2 minute routine for strangers and get judged on it without the judges knowing the hours and hard work that was put into these routines.
A placement will never define the talent and dedication my students and myself have put into a routine and as a teacher I will always consider the work ethic my students put into their routines and I will always be over joyed and proud of them for their hard work over any type of placement or award because I know how hard they work and that’s the best award in my eyes.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: Virginia_dancer1