After many hours of rehearsal in Harvard’s various dance studios, Candela Salsa’s performance at Apollo Night, an event hosted by Harvard’s Black Student Association (BSA), was a complete success! It was so exciting to get in front of that crowd and show them the fruits of our hard work. I have to admit, I was pretty nervous, but if Harvard has taught me anything, it’s taught me that sometimes you have to charge into a situation even if you’re not totally sure of yourself.
Balancing dance rehearsal and the many other things you have on your plate can be difficult but know that all the hard work can pay off- sometimes, in the form of flashing stage lights, a dramatic salsa pose, and applause. At least, that’s how it paid off this past Saturday at Apollo Night! I can’t believe how loud the crowd was cheering!
Nothing compares to that feeling! It also felt good to know that I had gotten work done for my classes in between the run-through earlier that day and the actual stage-time performance. As you can tell, the life of a college student is very similar to that of a juggler so think of it like this: There are going to be so many things you are going to be involved in that it has the potential of being overwhelming but a successful juggler only takes on what they can at first and slowly progresses until they are at a comfortable number. Think of college in the same way, you don’t want to start juggling 10 things when you first start out, take it slow and do what interests you the most! And don’t be afraid to try something new, either! That’s part of the excitement that college has to offer. Thankfully, Harvard has an amazing amount of opportunities to get involved with on campus and it’s almost impossible not to find something you want to try out. It’s definitely worth the time! Please explore, learn, have fun, and be ready for those moments where you can call home and say, “You won’t believe how loud the crowd was cheering for us!”
