“Dance, for me, has always been instinct,” says jacquelinh, a dancer at alvinailey, in her “Why I Dance” essay for dancemagazine. “I lost my first tooth and tied my first shoe at the studio. I knew right away I was meant to be there, although I didn’t know it would be forever.” Head to the link in our bio to read about how she channels that instinct to expand her understanding of humanity. 💖 📸: Jacquelin Harris. Photo by Dario Calmese, Courtesy Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. 📝: Harris #jaquelinharris #ailey #alvinailey #whyidance Image Description: Jacquelin Harris in the air, one leg is in a parallel passe while the other extends straight. She wears a pink outfit with asymmetrical sleeves. Text: “Dance has been used to mourn, to celebrate, to honor, to protect, to repent, to bring hope, to transcend fear. I dance as a way to honor our ancestors, to tell stories of people whom, even if I have never met them personally, I have met through history.” —Ailey’s Jacquelin Harris