At nine years old I was given a label that was entirely unfamiliar to me: the new kid. Having attended the same school since daycare and living in the same neighborhood since birth, I was accustomed to being a perfect piece in the puzzle of my communities. But for the first time, I was an anomaly among an already perfected design. Nevertheless, my time at the dance studio became the highlight of my days. Starting an activity at nine years old may not seem too unusual for most people, but many dancers begin their careers at a very young age. While my peers were stretching and training at the ages of two and three, I was in my living room putting on poorly choreographed shows for my mom. When I finally took my first real dance lesson, I towered above the younger girls in the beginners ballet class. After joining the competitive dance company, I struggled to assimilate with the tight knit community. But while I was unused to some aspects of the social structure of the stud...