English 1121-D435 

Prof. Rosen

Paper by: Biana Valet   

3/2/23 

Project 1: Discourses Communities  

       I never considered myself to be a member of any discourse communities because I never felt like I belonged to any, but now that I’ve given it some thought, it seems so genuine, and the idea of being one makes me fearless because it’s been so difficult for me to fit in with others. I’ve always felt different from my peers at a very young age and I never felt as I have any qualities worth considering to be part of any community. To be entirely honest, I found it very strange to learn about a discourse community in class. There are other communities and endeavors to pick from, but dance is the one that has changed my life. the moments in my life when everything seemed gloomy, but dancing got me through it. Time helps to nurture the growth of my happy path. Dancing helps me with my mental health because in my life, I saw dancing as a form of discourse communities because it defines what it means to want to live, but the organizations that I was a part of, which is Flanbwayan , they advocate for the Haitian community, and they help you to feel connected with other girls.  

           The dancing group that I took part has helped me improve my mental health since I can remember a dark period in my life when everything seemed to be upside down and I had no idea what was happening because I was powerless over the anguish I was experiencing because I believe there was a period of my existence when I was still being heard, especially when I was going to Suicide contemplating sorrow bloody suicide thinking, the dance community is an advocate for young people like myself. The audience for this mashup is most people that take dance as an escape to reality. 

          If you were to ask what types of dances I enjoy performing, you could think of tango, salsa, etc. However, I prefer the traditional dance. The traditional dances of every nation are unique, for me they are Kongo, Ibo, Dahomey, Kompa, YANVALOU, Folklore, Parigol, etc. Traditional Haitian dancers have been most influenced by African movement, this dance displays the elegance and grandeur of the Haitian people. Dancing is a technique to speak openly and express emotions through cultural practices such as festivals, customs, foods, storytelling, and rhythms. I say I’m a part of this community because, in the beginning, dancing was simply something I did whenever I felt like it. But, performing on a stage in front of a large crowd was both exciting and relaxing. Even though I was anxious, my first performance on a large stage in front of a large audience is still one of my most unforgettable experiences. Even when I was practicing step-by-step backstage, but as soon as the audience applauded and we took the stage, my anxieties began to set in. I had flashbacks of how I would mess up the step and look foolish in front of the audience, and I worked hard to stay on track. However, as soon as the music started playing, I danced like a butterfly and let all my worries fly away by making all those movements, releasing the sensation I’m experiencing and expressing my feelings and emotions while letting the rhythm of the drums move my body naturally and sharpen the words I want to communicate. It is the excitement I was having leading me to feel like myself. Being a part of this group gives me a feeling of belonging and enjoyment. For me, dancing has always been a method to express myself creatively and personally and to communicate ideas that I couldn’t speak. 

        

        Being new to everything and finding it challenging to digest it made me feel like an outsider in my field of study, which is law and paralegal studies. Despite my best efforts, I can’t help but feel that I don’t belong there because the thought of not knowing things makes me feel mentally unwell. Even though I was attempting to fit in during a conversation in class where everyone else was an expert but me, I genuinely adore this major. Due to the fact that the classes I attended in my first semester served as the foundation for my major, I had the impression that everyone went through the same experience when learning something for the first time. But if I want to be great, I must put in more effort to fit in because it’s either this or being a disappointment. This is what I want to do in the future.