How I became a ballerina

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How I became a ballerina

I used to watch it in movies, cartoons and wondered if it were real and whether one day I could be able to practice and become a ballerina. A ballerina is a person that trains in dancing on the art of classical ballet. My mum told me I was dancing in her womb any time would hear music. When I became 2years I would dance around the house and when she would put aerobics discs on the television, I would watch her and do the moves with her. She saw it being odd that I could pick up a choreography. I went to Chisholm Trail Elementary School that encouraged children on working on their talents. This was the only school that was putting on a school wide production to emphasize diversity. I trained in school only on club days and got more interested to do ballet at my free time at home.

By the time I attained 10 years I had already enrolled to ballet class which happened on a daily basis including the weekends. I practiced ballet, jazz and modern dance. I also trained at school to complement my ballet training. I knew I wanted to be a ballerina from as early as I can remember. It has been pretty cool to have the same drive and passion for all this years. Being a ballerina did not choose one‘s gender but one had a hierarchy and strict gender roles. It required great extensive training and appropriate techniques to become a professional ballerina.

When I was 10, my coach, Vanessa Pidel realized I had a passion to become a dancer. She was the organizer of the Ballet Royale Institute of Chicago. She was so impressed and she asked me if I wanted to become a professional ballerina. I nod my head though I knew I would only do this as a part time task. She took charge of training me since I was 11 until I became a professional dancer at age 15. My dream to become a ballerina has been characterized by hard work and never-ending desire to prosper in ballet dancing. I would not have achieved what I am today without my role model Johnny Pidel and adequate practice. Through training and continued efforts of practicing, I have enhanced my balance as well as continuing with my academics.

My parents have always wanted me to perform academically and become a great person in life. I went to a national high school, and I was always dedicated to my academics. In our home every one puts education as the first priority before any other career. Hence, there was no excuse for evading school, even with a busy schedule. My mother is a lecturer at Howard University and my dad holds a PhD in Doctorate.

I would get up early to practice work outs in the morning on my own then go to school from 7:00 a.m. until 2 p.m. From 2 p.m. to 10 p.m. I would train in private lessons. I never had social life since all holiday breaks I spent on training, however I loved my dream and never felt like I missed out on anything. I made friends who were dancers too and we encouraged each other’s as we flirted to one another on having great skill.

I started attending competitions programs and I remember I spent all my summers in New York City attending to dancing competition programs. I joined a national youth club called MYSA in Chicago which went all around the world helping and encouraging young people to join productive associations. The youths need to engage in positive programs to prevent them from having pressure on drugs intake and other destructions. I took the SATs, but I was hoping to get a contract for youth’s empowerment. I would train small children how to become ballerinas and help them on their balance. As a ballerina, one has to start when he/she is very young. By the time one is 21years, she should be well on the way to one’s career.

During my last year in high school, my private teachers invited me to New York City in order to take a class with the Dance Theatre of Harlem. Instead of being in a formal audition, ballet companies prefer to hold open classes that people tend to take when invited. This helps the person performing to be noticed. Hence the teachers would invite me and I would do my best in the performance. One day they invited me day for class and the founder Arthur Mitchell was present. He is one of the biggest dancing icons, so I was thrilled just imagining am in the same room with him. After classes, he took me aside and corrected me and invited me in the junior company. He said, “Hey you are pretty cool in your moves, could you come and perform in our summer academy, in case they like your performance they will pick you up”. I got my first trophy for being the best ballerina from my county.

All I wanted is to start working as a ballerina trainer since I had trained almost all my life. Hence I wasn’t so interested but I said its okay. After some weeks I had attended Dance Theatre of Harlem and surprising enough Mr. Arthur was a master class teacher here. He saw me and we had a chat. He asked for my contact and he left. The next day he called me and offered me a position in the company like an apprentice which was an entry level job for a professional dancer.

I was only 16 and this was the beginning of my senior year of high school. I moved to New York City for the job as well as finished my classes through correspondence with the Professional Children’s School. My uncle lived there, so I had a family there, which made it easier for me transit. I lived with my uncle and cousins for three months, then moved-in into a housing facility near Columbia University offered by the college. When I was 17 I moved in with a roommate into an apartment. Being an apprentice dancer, it was the most bottom offer and most people see it as a peanut paying job. Despite all that I promised myself to do my best to honor and perform my job. This was a very fortunate time for work when there were new upcoming choreographers in Dance Theatre of Harlem.

This was magic to me since I had a chance to be noticed. Whenever a choreographer likes you, they would take you regardless of your ranking in your company. I worked as an apprentice for 6months and got promoted as a core member. This brought up more opportunities for bigger positions and I got more money. I changed all my academic classes to be part time so as to work since the hours were contradicting. For a dancer’s the work schedule is a little different, I would start my day. For a two-hour company class at 10 a.m., this focused on conditioning, technique and strength. I would arrive by 9 a.m. to do stretches, yoga, study videos, and do physical therapy. Then I would attend rehearsals from afternoon till 6p.m and finally I would attend my academic classes from 7p.m to 9p.m.

The physicality of the job together with travel and injuries is hard to endure at times. I’ve had a lot of injuries through my career. I find it a blessing and a curse. I have a very flexible body, which is wonderful for dance, but it makes my body more unstable and susceptible to injury. i had one foot surgery at one point made me differ my classes and job for a year. I had swelling in my foot from time to time, however this does not kill my passion to work as a ballerina. I was 18years after being recognized within the dance world. I got amazing reviews in New York Times, and people recognized me all around.

Coming to my academics, I love to read and I know am a decent writer. In school I had an internship in the marketing department. I started branding and advertising, and got a sponsorship and philanthropic giving. Most of the firms that I worked with gave a lot to arts organizations and arts education. They sponsored me to all my remaining academic sessions. In 2012 I prolonged a full-time offer upon graduation, and I accepted it.

I’m now doing this course and I have learned to truly convey an interest in learning and teaching ballerina to my classmates. I would wish to help my classmates discover their talents and those who don’t have some teach them ballerina. It has been 3years since I went ballerina classes but I still love dancing. I attend dancing clubs during my free time. I still have my ballerina skills on, though currently I have put all my efforts on education. When you really love something, it stays in your heart as ballerina will always be.