After four years of high school and being involved in FFA, several opportunities to cut it loose on the dance floor have come and gone. I remember being a freshman attending my first ever Area Barnwarming. I decided to spend that evening leaning against the wall as far away from the dance floor as possible. I did not dance at all.

 It wasn’t until the next summer when I attended Missouri FFA Camp that I got to see the true power of the dance floor. I saw the state officers leading members at the front of the dance floor in the Bikers Shuffle line dance. There was so much expression and brotherhood shown in such a simple dance. That day, the Bikers Shuffle became my favorite line dance, among the many others that I learned. I found comfort in line dancing because I could always watch the person next to me if I wasn’t on the right step. 

Line dances don’t make up every song at the dance, though. It is our job to figure out what to do the rest of the time. We can only raise our pinky fingers to the moon so many times and do weird disco moves before it gets old. We have to figure out how to dance on our own, or least pretend like we know what we are doing. 

Missouri FFA, it’s okay to blend in when the time is right, but when the time comes, it’s up to us to carry our own beat and make our own path. Find what move works best for you without worrying about who looks less awkward. Don’t be afraid to turn your swag on at the next shindig or take a chance with your next opportunity!