“My life has always been on a schedule. My weeks are planned out, school-dance-homework or school-homework-dance,” said senior Alexandria Woods

Alexandria “Alex” Woods is a senior not only here at THS, but also at Meredith Gravely School of Dance, where she has been dancing there for 13 years. This year her dance schedule consists of: Ballet, Jazz, Skills, Tap, Pointe, Hip-Hop, and Contemporary.

“My favorite thing about dance is having a place where I can forget about everything going on in life, at home, and in school. I can just dance it out,” said Woods.

When she’s not dancing she’s busy focusing on school work, volunteering, and being co-president of the Interact Club. Woods previously worked at O’Kelly’s; however, due to the stress of applying to colleges and balancing her extracurriculars, “having a job was completely impossible.”

Just like every other student who has multiple afterschool activities, Woods needed a schedule. Woods said, “I feel less stressed when I have what I need to do planned out every week, I don’t work well with being unorganized.” Along with her extra activities, Woods also has a rigorous school schedule, a few of her more difficult classes include AP Literature and Statistics. In these classes she usually has homework every night, and studying for upcoming tests and quizzes. 

Dance has had a major impact on Woods, “Most of my closest friends I’ve met through dance or I have gotten closer to them because of dance,” said Woods. She’s made many lasting friendships there, and hopes that they last throughout college as well.

Not only does Woods social life and friend group revolve around dance, but her whole life does. “Yes I will miss dance, because dance is such a big role in life, most of the stuff I do or have to work around is because of dance, but it [leaving dance] will be a sort of relief though,” Woods said. She will no longer have the stress of balancing school, having a social life, extracurriculars and on top of that dance, she will have more freedom and definitely less stress.

The experiences woods has had at the dance studio prompts her to think of everyone there as family. When asked what she will miss the most about dance she replied with “ I’ll miss my teachers and the people, because they’ve all made a huge impact on my life and the person I am today.” 

Woods concludes by stressing how much dancers need to stay focused in school, “DON’T PROCRASTINATE, make sure you have a schedule!! Life will be 10 times easier.”