I have been a student of the arts since I was in preschool, but dance has always been my constant. I was a very shy child, and I am an introverted adult. Dance has always been a way for me to communicate how I feel on the inside. I love music and dance allows me to express how different elements in music compliment my mood. I have studied ballet and contemporary dance, but I also grew up during the golden era of hip hop and free style. These days, I dance Raqs Oriental or as it is known in the western cultures, bellydance. Bellydance has offered me the opportunity to learn different rhythmic patterns and instruments. It has opened doors to the rich histories and cultures of Africa and the Arab world. I have made a lot of new friends and gained new mentors through the dance community. As a mechanical engineering project manager by trade and a historian, I apply the principles of project management research to my studies of the arts and culture because documenting and preserving the arts are equally as important to me as enjoying them.