Alumni Testimonials
Basketball shoes to lyrical sandals, and uniforms to costumes are the items that consumed my daily high school schedule. While I was racing from one practice to another it was easy to lose sight of why I was exhausting myself on a daily basis. But then I would walk into Wildfire practice and be greeted by all of my best friends I had been dancing with for the past ten years. I would throw off my sweaty basketball jersey, grab my poms and immediately start smiling and dancing- forgetting everything else. Wildfire was not just another practice that took up a couple hours every week; it was what made my week. I am the person I am because of it.
For as long as I can remember, dance has been the largest part of who I am. The Wildfire Dance Program played the largest role in developing me into the dancer and person I am today. My love for performing and competing stems from the experiences I had within the program. It taught me discipline, poise, confidence and leadership skills. Most importantly however, it gave me a lifetime of memories and friendships. No other experience has given me more or taught me more than my experience as a Wildfire dancer. I will always cherish the times I spent dancing alongside my best friends – my family.
Wildfire has taught me many things over the years: responsibility, determination, and the importance of teamwork. But most importantly, Wildfire has helped me realize that I love to dance. And now I enjoy sharing my love for dance with the students I teach.
Wildfire provides a perfect balance of technique, discipline and enjoyment. Not only did it allow me to strengthen my dance ability, but I learned the importance of confidence and dedication which helped me get to where I am today. Wildfire was an amazing experience, and I have memories that will last a lifetime!
Dance and the lessons learned from being a member of a dance team, and developing life long friendships, can be incorporated into any way of life! I am currently pursuing a PhD in Human Metabolism from CWRU, and I still use my ability to multitask and interact in a "team" environment that I learned through being involved in Wildfire.
Simply put, Wildfire is the confidence, poise, personality, individuality, pride, unforgettable memories, forever-lasting friendships, and talent that all girls look for throughout their childhood and young adult life. It is an undeniable fact that without Wildfire I would not have grown into the person I am today. Wildfire was not just dance to me; it was an experience that influenced my character.
Wildfire provided me with skills and traits like leadership, teamwork, and self-confidence which have proven to be critical in college and in my current career. The ability to develop and enhance these skills while doing something you love to do (like dancing!) makes Wildfire a wonderful program for anyone.
Wildfire was truly one of the most amazing experiences of my life. I had the opportunity to be a part of a team that strived to constantly be better. Not only did we learn how to dance well, we learned confidence, poise, and teamwork, which are skills we take with us into our professional lives as adults. I am very fortunate to have experienced all that and cannot wait to have a daughter who can be a part of Wildfire!!!!
The dance training and confidence I gained through Wildfire helped me to become 2nd runner-up to Miss Ohio 2002, where I earned over $23,000 in scholarship money. Dance will always be a special part of me.
For me, dance was more than just moving my body to music and eight-counts. Dance was a tool that taught me the importance of dedication, self-discipline, time-management, teamwork, poise and confidence – values I still carry with me today in my personal and professional life. I am proud of the impact that Mary Murtha had on me and thousands of other young women. Wildfire will always have a very special place in my heart.
As an alumni, I am confident in saying that Wildfire offers its students much more than just dance. Wildfire provides its members with the opportunity to build self-confidence, form self-discipline, become physically fit, and create and maintain life-long friendships. I am so glad that my daughter Claire can now benefit from this program.
Wildfire taught me much more than how to dance. I learned to be a confident and outgoing woman who's never afraid to smile. The love of dancing never goes away no matter how old you get.
Dance has instilled values such as being a good team player, discipline in our lives and most of all a passion that just never goes away. Thank you Mary for everything you did for us. You taught us values that no one else ever could have.
Words cannot describe what Wildfire means to me. I was a member for nine years and I now have three beautiful daughters enrolled. In life you make mistakes and have regrets, but I have no regrets about the time and effort I put into this program. Wildfire gave me the confidence I needed in my life to do many great things. I also see it helping my daughters in the same way. I have seen many changes through the years and it's great to know that Wildfire hasn't changed, it has only gotten bigger and better.