Leilani McAdams

This video is a showcase of what finding your artistry can do for a person who can become too focused on what’s next. The culture of figure skating and other performance sports often emphasizes perfection: perfect jumps and spins, the “perfect” body, the perfect outfit. If I had never discovered my love for the entanglement of movement and music on the ice, the strive for perfection may have pushed me to quit the sport altogether. At the beginning of the video, you can see me getting ready to skate, struggling to be in the right mindset, and being frustrated with my technique. As the music, “Who You Are” by Jessie J, becomes more full and moves into the chorus, I begin my choreography to resemble this release of anxiety I feel when I allow myself to express my emotions on the ice. Through my movement I try to convey my progression of joy and how I want to be able to view myself; not necessarily a champion figure skater, but someone who can now help and inspire others through their skating and my own.