photo: Lin Pernille/ BY-NC-SA

I used to be in the dance emphasis at Oakland School for the Arts. One of my friends is still in the dance emphasis and she has been very depressed lately. In the dance emphasis there are two groups, dance troop and foundation troop. These two groups are separated from the okay and the really good. All the people in dance wants to be in dance troop because it is a huge challenge, but it is even more difficult and more drama. The dancers usually don’t talk to anyone else except the people in their group. There is always drama and someone is always critiquing or talking bad about someone. The drama usually occurs when a performance is coming up. My friend performed and her under wear was showing through her leotard and everybody was talking about her. If people knew, why didn’t they let her know before she got on the stage? The dance teacher was talking about her and all her so called friends started going behind her back and making up rumors. It is interesting how people front and act like they’re your friend but once something happens they change. It wasn’t even a big deal that her underwear was showing and if it was such a big deal then someone should have told her. I told my friend she should confront her so called friends and let them know if they have something to say they should let her know. She told me that she didn’t want to start anymore drama. I am glad I left the dance emphasis because I think I would have handled the situation very differently. I don’t like the division and separation. I don’t think there is any way to really solve the hate in the dance emphasis. I have a problem with this because I probably would have stayed in dance if there wasn’t so much drama and competition. I hate to see my friends in a bad mood and depressed so this situation has really bothered me. Separation, competition, and fake friends are the problem.