I understand exactly where you are coming from. I started taking ballet at a very young age and got a chance to dance with the New York City Center Ballet Company at age 13 for a week's engagement for the holiday season in my own town. Only my mother attended all of my performances. At age 16, I was offered a chance to attend the American Ballet Theater School, but my mother didn't and wouldn't sign the necessary paper work because the dance profession would not going to present a steady income for a living. My whole world collapsed. Although I didn't make dance a career, I didn't let anyone stop me or talk me out of dancing. I've danced in several amateur dance competition and placed in the top 10 or won one or several first place position without family attending. I wish So You Think You Can Dance had been around so that I could have auditioned for the show. However, I now leave it to the younger dancer to complete for such an honor. Point here, don't let anyone stop you from doing what you love to do. Dance instructors are notorious in the criticisms, but if they didn't think or see your potential, they wouldn't drive you so hard. Non-dancers just don't understand that.