In today’s world, people may be considered a hero for many different reasons, including personality, traits, or actions. A close friend of mine Erica Lightell is someone who I truly consider a hero in the career of dancing. Erica grew up without much knowledge of dancing or the dance world. She realized that she had a passion for dance, so she taught herself different skills. Then, she was enlightened and filled with knowledge and passion for dance after she was adopted by her current parents at the age of 14. She was able to learn from an actual studio with actual teachers and bring her dancing dreams to reality. From that moment on, she knew how important dance was going to be in her life and how much effort she would put into becoming a passionate dancer. Throughout this time, she has faced hardships that have only pushed her to be the best dancer and person she can possibly be. I have known her as an amazing teacher, mentor, sister, and dancer for the past 5 years, and she has believed in me in ways that I have not believed in myself. Generosity, strength, and self-confidence are three reasons why I consider my friend Erica Lightell a hero.

Erica Lightell expresses generosity which makes her a modern day hero. One way generosity is shown throughout Erica is the way she helps me with my dancing ability. Since Erica has taught me at my dancing school for three years now, she has always put my needs along with her other students’ needs above her own. When I do not understand the dances or dance moves being taught, she takes time to make sure I can understand them in a way that is easy for me and the other girls to learn. She does not focus on her own learning or ability when another person has a problem in the class. Instead, she helps us to learn and understand the best way she can. Another way Erica expresses generosity is by always being someone for me to talk to at any time. Whenever I am not feeling myself, she is always someone who I know will boost my confidence and make me feel better with just one conversation. I also know that she will be there for me when I want to laugh or just talk about situations and events occurring in my life. Her generosity is shown each day through her actions to help others and put others before herself, so Erica is a hero.

In addition to generosity, courage is another trait that makes Erica Lightell a modern day hero. Because Erica grew up not knowing much about dancing, she had to find the courage to take her disadvantages and turn them into advantages. She knew what a difficult task it would be to teach herself the complicated steps and techniques of dancing, but she used her passion and strength to become the dancer she is today. After being adopted, she had the opportunity to become a part of the dancing school I attend and participate in actual classes. She used her courage to attend classes with little knowledge of actual terms and dance moves. She did not know anyone in these classes, but her courage made her the amazing dancer she is. Another way she resembles courage is through her performances. She choreographs and then performs her solos in front of many different judges and audiences. She has the courage to perform her own work in front of many different strangers without being nervous or indecisive of her talent. She leaves her worries in her dancing and lets her courage guide her through different obstacles. Through the problems she faces in her life, Erica resembles courage to make her into a hero.
As well as generosity and courage, self-confidence is another trait that makes Erica a hero. With her performances at competitions and dance recitals, Erica’s confidence shines. When she performs for anyone, she never shows any type of doubt or nervousness. She is confident and eager to perform and show others the skills and abilities she obtains. Another way Erica’s confidence shows is when she travels for dance conventions or auditions. Most people would be discouraged by the big city of Las Vegas, but Erica was eager to show off her talents and abilities to this city. She held her chin high for each class she had taken from many different professionals and let them notice how passionate and eager she is to grow in her dancing. Also, with each class she teaches, Erica is confident with the dances being taught to her students. She shows this confidence with herself and her students by the way she teaches and leads her classes. Self-confidence is a major trait that makes Erica a modern day hero.

Three reasons why I consider my friend Erica Lightell my hero is because of her traits of generosity, courage, and self-confidence. She displays her generosity by putting all the students’ needs, including my own, before her own personal needs. She is also a person that I know I can talk to at any time and be put in a good mood with her generosity and kind words. Her courage was a major factor in the beginning of her dancing career when she did not have much knowledge of the world of dance. She also shows her courage each time she performs her own works on different stages in front of many different audiences. Along with courage, self-confidence is shown on the stage as she shows no signs of nervousness or doubt. This self-confidence is also shown through the classes she teaches and her style of teaching. Erica, along with many other people in this world, are heroes that should be looked upon by many people because of their incredible traits.