Karla Breonne Hood - Purposeful Grace

For Konstance. My favorite girl.

Here We Go

F ear is the annoying parasite that has prevented me from sharing my story. Questioning whether or not my experiences are relevant, wondering what people would think about what I choose to share, and being extremely critical of myself in general are all small clouds of fear which united to form a huge storm of doubt. Although I was hindering myself, the universe had special ways of consistently guiding me to come face-to-face with my destiny of writing this book. From getting bit with the acting bug, to being the first in my immediate family to attend college out of state, and becoming pregnant during my senior year of college, I will detail my trials and triumphs during one of the most challenging seasons of my life.

Transparency is the word that comes to mind anytime I write. Truly seeing someone and allowing yourself to be empathetic to their experiences is what I am striving for. By unravelling my experiences to you, dear reader, my hope is to encourage others in this world to own their truths and not feel so alone or doubtful. My story is not everyones story, but I wholeheartedly believe in community and uplifting others. By sharing my story, it liberates me from my own fear, in hopes to encourage others to do the same.

I WANNA DO THAT!

A fter visiting my sisters high school to see a musical production about Soweto, South Africa, I knew I wanted to attend that school when it was time and do exactly what those kids were doing. I saw children that looked like me singing beautiful songs, lighting up the stage with electrifying dances, and using their words and expressions to paint vivid pictures for the audience. The singing was amazing and the choreography made me want to jump up and dance with them. The energy was unmatchable, and I wanted to be a part. I wanna do that! is what I recall exclaiming to my mom after seeing that show. Sure enough, a few years later, it became my high school, and I was accepted as an acting student in the magnet program.

The magnet program is what made high school tolerable for me. During my magnet classes and rehearsals, it was wonderful to be surrounded by kids who were passionate, silly, fun-loving, and even a bit obnoxious. At my high school, magnet students were held at a certain respectable standard, so we took pride in it. Rehearsals were my favorite. Whether I was working backstage doing tech or actually performing onstage, there was something about being in rehearsal every day and connecting with fellow artists to bring a story to life which intrigued me. I enjoyed the process of contributing to breathing air into a show. In addition to being a part of the performing arts magnet program at my high school, I also had the opportunity to receive theatre training at various programs during the summer.

During my freshman and sophomore year in high school, I was able to attend a one-week camp located on a college campus in Alabama. A wonderful, generous woman in our community sponsored myself and a few of my friends from my school so we were able attend. People like her are so admirable to me. It was my first time being out of town without my family, but each year I went, I had friends from home attending the camp as well, so that made it more comfortable. The university used a Teaching Through Theatre approach during camp, and it was an amazingly fun way to learn more about the craft and to meet new people.

While at camp, we stayed in the universitys dorm rooms, so it was cool to get a sneak peak of college life. We were divided into age groups, and throughout each day, we attended classes that allowed us to explore acting, music, stage management, dance, and even modeling. Our instructors consisted of current students and alumni of the university. The first year I attended camp, I focused on acting. The instructors were fascinated with my voice. It is quite distinctive. When someone meets me for the first time, the first thing they notice is my voice. I cannot precisely remember the play that we performed, but I do remember my character; mainly because I was reminded of my role years thereafter, even recently!

In the show, I got a chance to play an arrogant, outspoken, materialistic loudmouthbasically the almost complete opposite of myself (I am actually a bit outspoken). It was a lot of fun, especially because it was out of my comfort zone. In passing, fellow campers and even the instructors would say my lines to me, and it would make me smile. Everyone seemed to thoroughly enjoy me playing that character. The final show was awesome, and so much fun. After the final show, I knew I would love the chance to return the following year.

Gratefully, I had the opportunity to attend the camp again, so we made our way to Alabama. This time, I made up my mind that I would focus on dance. I love to dance, and I wanted as much time in the studio as I could get. The modeling and acting instructors were pushing for me to play a particular character in the show, but I desperately wanted to dance, so they finally allowed me to.

It felt so good to be onstage as a dancer because it was something I have always wanted to do. I feel free and alive when I dance, using my body to tell a story. It was an awesome feeling. I made new friends, and I got a chance to perform amazing dances. Hip Hop, modern, ballet, Africanit was all great fun. When the week began to come to a close, I could not help but to be grateful. Being at the camp helped me in gaining more confidence, friendships, and I learned more about myself and my craft.

My parents drove to Alabama to see the final show for the last day of camp. We had so much fun on that stage, and after the show, a few of my professors approached my parents about my future at the university. They told them that they should consider the university when it was time for me to apply for colleges. I was not expecting that. They felt that I would be a good fit in their school. The look on my parents faces made me smile. I could tell that they were proud, and I knew they would love the idea of me attending college in Alabama because it was close to home. Even though I was not necessarily thinking about colleges at the time, it was nice to know I had an option.