My Serbian Dance Group example essay topic

The Medieval literature projects provided a fabulous insight into my life. I grew up with a strong Serbian background. I went to church and Serbian school every Sunday. I also spent two days a week practicing with my Serbian dance group. This is the reason I took up a younger dance group of my own to teach, so that i could lead another generation into a deeper appreciation of a truly rich culture. While reading Beowulf I learned about what leadership really was and how his life reflected my own.

Burton Raffel did a great job of translating Beowulf so that I could understand it in a more simple way. Beowulf quickly became one of my favorite heroes. There are many ways in how my life compares with Beowulf's and these are just a few. Beowulf always looks at the big picture. He is successful because he is brave and never gives up. Earlier this September I undertook the task of creating a fifth dance group for my church.

The way I look into the future is that the only way for Serbians in Cleveland to thrive is through preserving our traditions. "Strength and courage are basic virtues for both followed and follower" (Raffel X). To create a group I worked very hard to choreograph and gather music that I had been learning most of my life from my dance teacher, but what Raffel said came to a sharp reality when I realized that it was a challenge being a dancer, and an even bigger challenge being a teacher. After all my hard work in creating a dance for the kids, they were really hard to control at the beginning. I found it to be very frustrating when they would not listen, and I was there to help them. This however did not stop me as Raffel taught me that only true champions are strong while the weak will dwindle.

There was the future to look forward to, and I figured in time they would come to like me and behave at practices. Raffel has given me inspiration through another quote in Beowulf. .".. So fame / Comes to the men who mean to win it / And care about nothing else!

... ". (Raffel 71). Raffel is telling anyone who reads this that if I want to succeed then I cannot stop what I am doing. Therefore, I kept on teaching the little brats and it payed off, because on their first performance I cannot put into words how I felt watching my little kids perform and being credited, it was an overwhelming feeling of accomplishment. Raffel has taught me that if I even start to give up on something I am doing, that failure is inevitable.

I think that I can apply this idea to everyday life also. It helps me achieve my schoolwork and personal goals. What Raffel translated from so many years ago, still applies to life today. This is what makes a book like Beowulf a classic. It provides inspiration to the ages.

Reading Beowulf proved to be an excellent motivator. After all of the frustrating moments, it raised my spirits. Reading Beowulf showed me that if I quit, I can never succeed in life. As I continue teaching my dance group I will remember what I have quoted from Raffel. This insight of how a person can accomplish goals is very valuable information.

The book Beowulf is truly a masterpiece. The information I retained while reading this book will probably stay with me forever, just like the joy that my dancers bring to me. I now look at teaching dance as a blessing and not a nuisance..