The curtain rises on a stage. In the center stands a girl ready to start her dance. The music starts, and she starts her routine that she’s worked so hard to perfect. The audience is wowed, standing to their feet as she finishes. It’s a standing ovation.

The girl is junior Kendall Link. She’s been dancing for 11 years of her life, and she loves every minute of it. Though a lot of work goes into dancing, she doesn’t let it stop her from following her dream and staying on the stage.

“I work extremely hard. It’s worth it because when it comes to performance time, I want to put on a good show for everyone,” Link said.

She’s dedicated to the dancer’s lifestyle. Even with long rehearsals and difficult dances, she never stops trying to be better. When most people complain about the difficulties, she just smiles and keeps on dancing. She loves everything about dance so much, she can’t find a reason to complain.

“Dancing. That is my favorite part,” Link said. “I think learning the routines is my absolute favorite part. Most people would say routines are the hardest part, but for me it’s waiting for the big day of recital.”

Out of all forms of dance, even this dedicated performer has favorites. Though she enjoys all styles, she finds Spanish to be the most challenging and entertaining to do.

“Spanish is my favorite style. It’s my favorite because of the different style of music and moves incorperated into it.” Link said. “The music is Mexican-oriented. The most important part of Spanish is the castanets. They’re instruments that require a lot of hand movements and hand practice. They’re black with a shoe string tied at the end, and if you push them together, they make a sound.”

When a performance nears, she finds herself thinking about it constantly. It’s the most exciting part for any dancer–to get up on stage. As the day draws closer, she finds herself beyond excited, with a few nervous habits that tend to come with the waiting.

“The weeks before recitals, I’m always at school tapping or moving my feet for practice,” Link said. “The day before the recital, I always try to go back and think over all my dances. I hype myself up to do really well the next day.”

She wants to be original, so that anyone watching will see a performance they will never forget. She doesn’t want anyone to leave feeling as if she did a mediocre or average routine. She wants to give the audience something that deserves their applause.

“Last year, when I did my solo, I picked a song that was different than usual,” Link said. “I didn’t know how it would turn out. After I performed, I got a standing ovation and five bouquets of roses. It was incredibly special.”