BWW Blog: Keanna Irving - Freedom to Fail

On News Year's Eve of seventh grade, I made the resolution to step out of my comfort zone and try new things. Little did I know as a twelve year old that this would lead me down an exciting path towards an outgoing, theatrical me! I began to make the conscious choices that would push me out of my little bubble. Before long I was doing theatre and learning new styles of dance. By the end of senior year, I figured I would continue to step out of my comfort zone and move from little Boise, Idaho all the way to New York City for school. That is when I learned that I had a flaw in my mentality, as I soon discovered that life was not just about being willing to try new things, but about having the courage to fail.

The amount of sheer talent in New York City is simultaneously terrifying and invigorating. From watching Broadway actors in the theater to being in the presence of fellow hopeful performers in a dance class, this city is paradise for actors and a breeding ground for the courage to fail. Seeing people who are much, much better than me inspires me to be like them, but first I must jump into the frightening abyss of potential failure. If we are too afraid to fail we will never try anything new. With each failure, we have opportunity to grow and learn as artists. Without new experiences, and perhaps some failure along the way, we will only stay stuck and our artistic growth will be stagnant.

I had an amazing opportunity to face my fear of failure when I finally had a chance to go to classes at Broadway Dance Center that I would not usually be able to go to. An intermediate advanced theatre jazz class called my name, despite the fact that my jazz experience is extremely limited. My character heels clicked on my way into the dimly lit studio, as I prepared myself for the next hour and a half. I was ready to struggle and hopefully come out a better dancer. Even though I knew I might not be able to keep up in a room full of young, talented dancers, I mustered up the courage to face the fear of failure. One wonderful stretch session, a few jazzy routines across the floor, and some sassy, Fosse-esque choreography later, I floated out of one of the best classes I had ever taken. While I may not be quite Broadway ready to say the least, I did not know that I could dance like that! If I had been too afraid to fail in that class, I would not have had the opportunity to learn more about my own capabilities and be inspired by artists around me.

Deciding to live inNew York was a crazy move for an eighteen year old, but it is full of plenty of opportunities for me to conquer my fear of failure and try new things. Along this Big City adventure, I am sure I will fall short plenty of times, but I will learn and I will be inspired, which makes it all worth it in the end.