Short Story: Tyler Hall "I Was Nominated for a Rhode Scholarship"

After studying abroad and traveling all over Europe, with his ballet slippers in hand Tyler has found himself back in Halifax to finish up his Management degree at Dalhousie University. Tyler keeps himself busy by working several jobs; he currently is employed at Campus Copy, Dal Health Centre, Campus Tours, and is also very involved with the DalDance Society. The DalDance Society is celebrating its 12^th anniversary this year as a student run organization that focuses on a recreational approach to dance; offering class for all levels in everything from Ballet to Belly Dance. Tyler is currently on council as Vice President, and also teaches a Beginner Modern dance class on Sunday evenings.

Watching Tyler perform you would never know by his dancing that he only started to dance when he got to university. How did it feel walking into your first dance class at Dalhousie.“I didn’t do it alone, I went with a friend. It really helped to have someone to laugh with because then you didn’t feel so embarrassed”— says Tyler. Dance is just as much mental and it is physical, and being able to laugh off mistakes is certainly as asset when one is learning how to dance. Tyler and I discuss how we both got into dance and he says quite frankly: “If you want to do something, and your not doing it, then that’s just sad” Tyler takes a no excuses approach to starting a new hobby. He feels that if one truly wants to do something then he or she will make it happen. It is easy to say that you want to learn how to dance, but you really have to want it in order to be able to keep pushing your self to improve.

Dance is not Tyler’s only talent; he is also very bright. Recently nominated for the Rhode Scholarship Award and planning to further his education and attend graduate school, and then “hopefully return to the city” —says Tyler. Facing the issue many of us students experience: once we get our degrees it becomes difficult to find employment here in Nova Scotia. “If I could find a job here I would stay hands down” ─says Tyler. He hopes to stay in the city, but realizes that it might not be easy to find a job, but he is going to try: “I love Halifax” —explains Tyler “it has all the charms of a small town”.

For DalDance registration information visit:

http://societies.dsu.ca/daldance

Be Well,

ks