New York City is a very popular city that I've always dreamed of living in. The streets flood with thousands of people, bumping into everyone. I grew up in a small town in Pennsylvania. I started dancing when I was only 3 years old at a dance studio called Abby Lee Dance Company. One day I dreamed of becoming a famous dancer and dancing on Broadway all day and night. My name’s Ben and I love to dance.
Now, I’m 12 years old. School has just begun and I'm now a 6th grader. I’m in middle school! As I continue to dance, kids at my new school are making fun of me. They call me, ‘the gay boy”, worthless, and many worse names. I try not to let that get me down, but it’s not always easy.
This started to really bother me. I thought to myself , “Should I just quit dancing? Wouldn’t that make my life better?” Sometimes I even had some suicidal thoughts. But no one that wants to be successful never gives up on their dreams. Well, do they?  I don’t care what people should think about me. I’m myself and this is what I love to do.
On my 12th birthday, my parents surprised me and took me to NYC. The streets gather with color,excitement ,hotdog stands, and much more. Time Square is one of  the strangest things you'll ever see in your life.  From street performers to painted naked girls. As I stayed here for 2 weeks I discovered that I could be like others and try to become famous.
New York City is so beautiful! I want to live here one day! When I was in New York, I went around to other dance studios and observed. I went into this dance called “Fame All-Star Dance Elite”. The best dancers in the world have danced here!  This studio is the studio I  always dreamed of dancing at. It was so hard to make the  competition team.
As we explored NYC I did a contemporary dance to see if maybe I could get detention. I wasn't paying attention but when I looked up… there he was!! The one and only Mark Dallas. He's the reason I never quit dancing. He's always been my biggest dance celebrity. He came up to me and said, “What's your name young man?”
“My name is Ben, are you…”
“That I am, Mark Dallas!” he exclaimed.”
I was crying with tears of joyness as he hugged me and introduced himself to me. Not as If I didn't know who he was…
“Your an amazing dancer! How would you like to dance with me in a recital this weekend?” Mark said.
“Really!?!”  I exclaimed.
“Yep, my dance partner has a really bad flu and this weekend is the biggest competition of the year.”
         “I would love to!” I didn't believe this was happening right now.
My Mom was away watching street dancers perform as all this was happening. As Mark gave me his number then walked away I ran up to my Mom... Mom! Mark Dallas just asked me to dance with him in the biggest competition of the year with him.
       “That’s fantastic!” my Mom exclaimed.
       “But… we are supposed to head home this weekend.”
       “Please Mom! I’ll do anything! Please!”
    “We will see, I have to work on Sunday.”
The competition is in 2 more days now. I must be there. He is counting on me. We are going to see Time Square today . We walked 18 blocks from our hotel and on our way there we saw some of the weirdest things. This City wasn't as crowded as much as I expected . Now, we are in Time Square . It was gorgeous. I never wanted to leave. We walked into a store called H&M. It was the most beautiful store i've ever seen in my life. It was like all mirrors and it was 3 stories high! We go to check out and there he is. In Front of me. Mark Dallas.
“Mom! That’s him!”
He turns around and says,
“Oh Hello! How have you been?”
“Great! How about you?”
“Great! So are you ready for Saturday? Mark quietened.
Mom, please. This is a once in a lifetime opportunity.
“I guess so. But this will never happen again.”
Yay! I shouted with excitement . Thank you so much Mom!
Mark and my Mom started to talk.
  As they were talking about saturday I was daydreaming of what it was going to be like.. everyone yelling and shouting my name, cheering me on, it would be a miracle coming true. I could become.the next.big.dancer!
Finally, they ended the conversation.
“I'll see you Saturday!”Mark exclaimed to me.
“Sure will!”
  Me and mother start to head back to the hotel now. Tomorrow I have to go to a rehearsal and learn the whole dance. It would be tricky, but it would just take a few minutes till I understood. We had got back to the hotel around 10:30 pm.
“Goodnight Mother, thank you so much for letting me do this.”
“Goodnight sweetie pie, you better get a good night's rest. Tomorrow is a big day.” Momma exclaimed.
“Wake Up! Rehearsals are in 25 minutes. We have to leave now!” momma said, yelling at me.
I got up and through on my dance shoes and some shorts. The day was just beginning. We grab a taxi and we start to head to the studio. Do you know how many homeless people there are in the City ? I didn't. There's tons. Its really sad ,I wish I could help them. FInally, we made it to the studio.
“Are you…. Ben Carislo?” the doorman asked me.
“Sure am!”
  “Congrats on the part, now go get on the floor!”
I started to learn all the choreography. It was the hardest dance I would ever have danced in my life. I was there for 8 hours perfecting everything. I was so sore afterwards but I'd better get used to it. It was finally time to go get some food and go back to the hotel. I was starving. We went to a place called Carmines. It's a very expensive Italian restaurant on Broadway.
The food was amazing, now it's time to go back and practice the dance. I would not want to make any mistakes.  There is now 15 hours till I'm on the floor with the one and only Mark Dallas. I spent 4 of those hours when I got back to the hotel practicing. I was so exhausted. I better go to sleep so i'm not tired for tomorrow.
      “Goodnight NYC, goodnight mom,goodnight Mark.” I said to myself.
BEEP BEEP BEEP. My alarm started to holler. Today's the biggest day of my life. I will head to the theater in an hour. I got up,ate breakfast at the hotel,and practiced a few more times. Time to leave now! Momma still wasn't up so I had went and woke her.
        “WAKE UP WE NEED TO LEAVE!” I shouted with excitement.
          “Ok give me 5 minutes,” momma replied.
Finally, we’re off to the competition.  I started gaining butterflies in my stomach. My nerves started to kick in. We are now walking into the theater and all I see is a ton of older people and some very unique styles. As I head backstage to get my costume on and get ready to perform , I noticed Mark wasn't there. We went on in 15 minutes.
         “Hello kid,are you supposed to be dancing with Mark to
day?”questioned the security guard.
         “Yes I am. Do you know where he is?”
        “No I do not. But if he's not here when it's time to go on the stage you're performing a solo.”said  the guard.
   “Ok.”I replied shaking with nerves and excitement.
“5 more minutes till show time!” shouted the director.
I guess I would just have to pull off the solo today. I heard there are many people here though that could make or break my career. I have to give it everything I have today. Momma was heading to her seat. It was almost time and he still wasn't here. I'm doing a solo I guess.
“Take your seats and silence your phones please. Please welcome Mark Dallas and his dance partner Ben Carislo!”
The crowd was silenced as I walked out on the stage. All I heard was my mom screaming my name. The bright lights had blinded me. I began to dance. Alone. People were here to watch Mark, not me. I gave it all I had. As I was halfway through the dance, Mark was here! He watched me and cheered me on. As soon as it was over the crowd burst with excitement. It was a miracle coming true at last. Mark was waiting backstage as he applauded me. 
“Good job young man!You did a terrific job!” Mark said.
“Thanks! Why were you late?”  I quietened.
“I wasn’t late, I  was backstage the whole time, I gave you an opportunity,”Mark replied.
“How?” I quietened.
“Come along. I’ll show you.”
He had taken me to the front of the stage, people were asking for my autograph!
            “But why would you do this?”
             “You’re an amazing dancer and you deserve it.”he said.
             “Thank you so much, but what's going to happen now?”
            “You'll see,”he replied walking away .
             Now, my mom had made her way to the front of the stage and congratulated me. People were asking me to dance in their commercials,music videos, and much more! Mark had made me a star. Now, I was going to be moving to New York City. I just made myself a dance career and I couldn't thank Mark Dallas enough. I have been dancing all over Broadway since now. And now,I would have many more opportunity a for myself here to. I would never have to face being bullied by my old schoolmates again. Now, my life is what I have always dreamed it would be. Never listen to bullies cause that could cost you your dreams. I didn't, and I was so close to but I kept doing what I loved to do. My mom was proud of me and what I did. She was my biggest supporter that never gave up on me.
            My life was just beginning all over again.
This wasn't a dream anymore. It was reality. A few years pass on and now when I walk down Broadway, all I see is my name on big build boards.
To this day, when people ask me how it all started, I say,  “Mark. He did it all.”