I have ALWAYS loved putting on a good show for family and friends. From doing skits with friends, performing in community theater, or showing off my skills at my violin recital, I loved performing! The combination of being a theater kid and being the ultimate flower child, I’m surprised it took me so long to be interested in ballet! Once I discovered this wonderfully beautiful art, it was my life for over 9 years. I dedicated my life to it, and I learned so many life lessons from it, and from my career, came my lovely and wonderfully full life.

When I became interested in musical theater, I was 8 years old. My mom figured I should learn some movement and coordination skills if I was going to continue with theater. I started attending a dance studio and started learning all the different styles of dance. I loved it. It was very helpful when going into auditions. A few years later, I began attending a Sunday workshop. The class was 3 hours long and it was a ballet class. The teacher was a strict Russian teacher, and I think the rigidity of ballet scared a lot of my friends. I craved that structure! By the end of the semester, I was the ONLY one taking his classes! My mom took note and found a ballet studio that was very serious and trained girls to be professional ballerinas. I went there for the first time in the summer of 2011, and that night, I decided I wanted to be a professional ballet dancer.

I trained intensively at that ballet studio for 7 years, and trained for about 6 hours a day. Since I was homeschooled, my schedule was flexible and I was able to take many classes every day! It was hard work, and for the first few months, I cried after many of my classes, but it was so worth it. Now, I am well equipped to take criticism and learn from people’s advice, rather than being defensive. It also taught me dedication, that if I want something, I have work so hard for it. I went en pointe on November 27th, 2011 and I couldn’t have been more thrilled! Every summer after that, I attended summer intensives for ballet. I attended Pacific Northwest Ballet (2012-13), Miami City Ballet (2014-15), Exploring Ballet with Suzanne Farrell (2016), and Ballet Austin (2018).

In 2017, I graduated high school early and moved to Denver, CO to attend the Colorado Ballet Pre-Professional Program. I got an apartment and was on my own. It was such a productive year, full of learning how to improve my art, but also how to live life on my own! I learned many hard things and made beautiful memories. I became even more motivated and hard working. I was so determined to be a ballet dancer, I would have done anything! The next year, I was back at Colorado Ballet. I auditioned in Europe for 10 different ballet companies and was offered jobs in London and San Diego. I returned to Denver and attended a broadway workshop and it shook me up! Right then and there, I decided to go for theater again. I finished out the semester and went back home.

Since covid hit, I have not been able to audition for very many things, but it also made me realize that I love dancing and acting as a hobby! If I were to pursue it professionally, I would be unhappy. I am so glad to enjoy my art and feel no pressure from it. It is so crazy how God works, because my shift of heart from ballet to theater brought me to California, and covid brought me to Tennessee! Moving to Tennessee has been the best decision I’ve ever made. I’m surrounded by young professionals, I am a ballet teacher (this has been my favorite job so far!), and I have the space to create my own businesses and entrepreneurial ventures.