TDW MAVENS
Meet Maria
My Story
I grew up in NY – my mom enrolled me in dance classes when I was about 3 years old because she thought it would be really cute (it was 😆). To my parents’ surprise, I continued dancing all the way through college, in the Boston University Dance Theatre Group; and after graduating, at The Dance Complex in Cambridge, helping out in exchange for classes – but it got harder with work, grad school, life, etc. I moved back to NY and between work, commuting, weight gain, depression, etc. I just couldn’t find the time, money, or motivation to keep dance in my life.
Fast forward to age 33, I had recently moved to Raleigh and my coworker – a fellow transplant and former dancer – brought me to a TDW class. My shoes were so old, they fell apart in class, it was so embarrassing! I went back once or twice, but my job at the time didn’t allow me the flexibility to keep it up. By 2019 I was at my heaviest and feeling low – I finally committed to losing weight, had a breast reduction, changed careers, and thought a lot about going back to this one thing that made me really happy.
Maybe I was waiting for a sign, but I followed TDW on social media all that time and saw a post about MAVENS auditions. I hadn’t taken a class in 5 years at that point and my weight had been fluctuating, but I said – what the hell, if nothing else maybe this will be the motivation to get me back to dance and help me get in shape. I signed up on a whim with low expectations, but gave it my best and was truly shocked by Jules’ response.
What TDW Means to Me
TDW is a second chance at something I truly love, something that makes me feel beautiful, and an opportunity to get in better shape while doing something that has that effect on me. Dance is the only physical activity that I have enjoyed and wanted to continue – the gym just isn’t for everyone. Jules giving me this chance to feel like a dancer again, after nearly 15 years out of the game, means more than she can possibly know. I was so flattered by making it to callbacks, I could hardly believe I was accepted into the MAVENS! There’s a difference between people saying “Hey, you’re a great dancer” and a serious professional seeing that you actually know what you’re doing (even if your body doesn’t quite remember it all just yet!).
Being around a group of ladies from all different life experiences but this one awesome thing in common is such a wonderful feeling. It can be hard to connect with people later in life / in a new place, but dancers feel like old friends. This is the first time Raleigh has truly felt like home, and I can’t wait to be a part of this amazing group that Jules has built.
TDW MAVENS
Meet Maria
My Story
I grew up in NY – my mom enrolled me in dance classes when I was about 3 years old because she thought it would be really cute (it was 😆). To my parents’ surprise, I continued dancing all the way through college, in the Boston University Dance Theatre Group; and after graduating, at The Dance Complex in Cambridge, helping out in exchange for classes – but it got harder with work, grad school, life, etc. I moved back to NY and between work, commuting, weight gain, depression, etc. I just couldn’t find the time, money, or motivation to keep dance in my life.
Fast forward to age 33, I had recently moved to Raleigh and my coworker – a fellow transplant and former dancer – brought me to a TDW class. My shoes were so old, they fell apart in class, it was so embarrassing! I went back once or twice, but my job at the time didn’t allow me the flexibility to keep it up. By 2019 I was at my heaviest and feeling low – I finally committed to losing weight, had a breast reduction, changed careers, and thought a lot about going back to this one thing that made me really happy.
Maybe I was waiting for a sign, but I followed TDW on social media all that time and saw a post about MAVENS auditions. I hadn’t taken a class in 5 years at that point and my weight had been fluctuating, but I said – what the hell, if nothing else maybe this will be the motivation to get me back to dance and help me get in shape. I signed up on a whim with low expectations, but gave it my best and was truly shocked by Jules’ response.
What TDW Means to Me
TDW is a second chance at something I truly love, something that makes me feel beautiful, and an opportunity to get in better shape while doing something that has that effect on me. Dance is the only physical activity that I have enjoyed and wanted to continue – the gym just isn’t for everyone. Jules giving me this chance to feel like a dancer again, after nearly 15 years out of the game, means more than she can possibly know. I was so flattered by making it to callbacks, I could hardly believe I was accepted into the MAVENS! There’s a difference between people saying “Hey, you’re a great dancer” and a serious professional seeing that you actually know what you’re doing (even if your body doesn’t quite remember it all just yet!).
Being around a group of ladies from all different life experiences but this one awesome thing in common is such a wonderful feeling. It can be hard to connect with people later in life / in a new place, but dancers feel like old friends. This is the first time Raleigh has truly felt like home, and I can’t wait to be a part of this amazing group that Jules has built.
