I couldn’t tell you how many times
I was afraid of messing it up
The number of times I reattempted it,
Hoping that it would be ready for the finale
I stumbled once or twice
Always managed to slip on my feet
Everyone I worked with said
“It happens sometimes”
And I learned from it

For every waltz I memorized
Came another tricky jazz routine
That tore me apart and pulled
At me until I was bruised
But by next week, I found it again
From time to time, I found myself solo
At times when I needed a partner
Learned to do it all on my own
An empty feeling, but a powerful one as well
I’ve had many instructors
Some good, but not all
I had to find the right one
To show me the way

I wept for a moment on the stage
To show off everything I’d learned
Went blind staring up at the lights past the crowd
Looking for a moment of satisfaction

Could this be your husband,
Could this be your mother,
Could this be your neighbor,
Could this be any given name,
Am I talking about a personal career, or
Am I talking about the same dance
We all go through every day?