Ten years ago, when I was four, I started dancing. The classes were just simple movement and rhythm, but even that was hard for me. I hid in corners or clung to my father, unable to join the others. While the other kids ran and danced freely in the room, I felt as if there was a wall between us.

The wall was higher than I imagined. I told myself, again and again, to step forward. But every time I tried, I felt glued to my chair, unable to move.

My parents began to worry that something was wrong with me. They couldn't understand why I was so afraid to speak with children my own age. There were so many things I wanted to share, but something always seemed stuck in my throat, holding back the words.

When I was ten, I started learning music. For some reason, the electric bass had a particular pull on me. Its deep sound is not as attention-grabbing as a guitar, but it lets you feel a song's real depth and structure. Its steady rhythm holds up the vocalist and the whole band. Over time, I realized that role looked a lot like me.

Through playing bass, I began to feel more comfortable expressing myself. It gave me the courage to take my first step, the courage to join a dance group, and that decision quietly changed my life.

The first time I put on my Irish dance shoes, I was afraid I would not keep up. But with each practice and each new step I learned, my confidence grew. I started looking forward to every class, and slowly, I understood:

Courage is not the absence of fear. It is choosing to move forward despite it.

Two years ago, I entered my first Irish dance competition. Standing in the venue, my palms wouldn't stop sweating. In the end, my stage fright won, and I didn't advance.

But that experience made me realize just how much Irish dance meant to me. In that moment, I saw that I was no longer the child who always hid in the corner. I could feel myself changing, moving step by step toward someone braver.

Last year, I performed with Scoil Rince Taiwan at the National Kaohsiung Center for the Arts (Weiwuying), and traveled to Prague for an international competition. This year feels even more meaningful, because I will perform in my own city, Taichung.

Growing up, I never imagined I would one day stand on a stage as large as the National Taichung Theater. Even now, every time I pass it, I still find it hard to believe that this September, I will actually be dancing there.

I still get nervous before stepping on stage. But I no longer treat that feeling as a burden. Instead, I treat it as anticipation, a chance to share something I love with more people.

Irish dance has changed me from a shy child who could barely speak, into someone who can stand confidently in front of an audience. It has given me more than just dance skills. It has given me resilience, self-belief, and the courage to step outside my comfort zone.

Through this platform, I hope to introduce Irish dance to more people, and to encourage anyone who, like the younger me, has held back because they lacked confidence, to find their own first step.

Standing in the spotlight does not mean being perfect first. As long as we are willing to take that one step, we can grow, slowly, into the person we hope to become.