Every Spring the local college in my town would have a dance showcase where students in the dance classes could show off their skills in choreography, music editing and of course dance itself.
Being one of the nerdy kids who could actually talk and usually not make people too uncomfortable, I was at the top of the list of folks they asked for tech help. For several years in a row, I was in charge of running the tech for the show – music, lighting, even occasional disembodied announcements from the control booth. In the weeks leading up to the show, I worked with each of the choreographers to dial in exactly how we would present their piece once the actual shows began.
Most of the dancers were from a totally different social milieu than me. I wouldn’t say the dancers were a popular or revered crowd – in fact, they tended to be introverted and kind of reserved (but super fit!) girls, along with the few queer guys who were out in my town at the time.