Meet our Dancers - "More than a Bio "

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Madison Ballet alum and Oklahoma City Ballet alum

• One place you'd love to travel to that you've never been: Finland
• Favorite snack food: Pudding, ALL pudding
• Favorite part of ballet class: Pirouette
• Favorite part of a performance day: Costumes!
• A challenge you felt during your training: Starting late
• A challenge that you still feel in your dancing: Consistency/stamina
• Something that you like about yourself, in or outside of dance: My passion and personality

Deeply Rooted Dance Theater and Praize Productions Inc. 

• One place you'd love to travel to that you've never been: Greece
• Favorite snack food: Popcorn
• Favorite part of ballet class: Barre & Grand Allegro
• Favorite part of a performance day: The performance: being able to express a range of emotions and sharing sincere moments with my colleagues on stage.
• A challenge you felt during your training:  Self-Doubt
• A challenge that you still feel in your dancing: Maintaining a consistent training routine during my off-season.
• Something that you like about yourself, in or outside of dance: How I've grown from being insecure, to now being confident in who I am

 River North Dance Chicago alum; The Chicago High School for the Arts faculty

• One place you'd love to travel to that you've never been: Australia
• Favorite snack food: York Peppermint Patties
• Favorite part of ballet class: Everything at barre!
• Favorite part of a performance day: I very much enjoy a solid tech rehearsal
• A challenge you felt during your training: Feeling overlooked
• A challenge that you still feel in your dancing: My challenge would be getting in my own head. I've learned to simply try my best. That’s all we can do!
• Something that you like about yourself, in or outside of dance: I'm happy to be a very patient person

 Civic Ballet of Chicago 

• One place you'd love to travel to that you've never been: Morocco
• Favorite snack food: Sliced apple
• Favorite part of ballet class: Pliés
• Favorite part of a performance day: Time "on stage", literally the dancing part
• A challenge you felt during your training: The struggle between my body and making it respond to the theory
• A challenge that you still feel in your dancing: Keeping the right posture
• Something that you like about yourself, in or outside of dance: I like about me that I am always laughing, so I feel I have more joyful experiences.

 Joffrey Ballet Chicago

• One place you'd love to travel to that you've never been: Australia! Or anywhere in Asia.
• Favorite snack food: Top ramen... 😬 beef flavored!
• Favorite part of ballet class: Pirouettes
• Favorite part of a performance day: Makeup time / getting ready! The quiet time before going on stage, where it’s just you with yourself. And then, audience! That’s my favorite!
• A challenge you felt during your training: How to relax into my plies. I injured my ankles dancing on it without healing properly.
• A challenge that you still feel in your dancing: The balance between knowing I'm good enough and showing I'm good enough. I've always been better at one than the other.
• Something that you like about yourself, in or outside of dance: I love my hair! I've been growing it for 2 years and I'm really proud of it!

 Joffrey Ballet Chicago

• One place you'd love to travel to that you've never been: Patagonia
• Favorite snack food: Cheese
• Favorite part of ballet class: Adagio
• Favorite part of a performance day: The first step I take onto the stage!
• A challenge you felt during your training: I always had problems with my jumps. I am very long and always had a hard time getting off the floor.
• A challenge that you still feel in your dancing: The off-season is always hard for me. Finding ways to stay in shape that I enjoy and not getting upset with myself when I come back to the studio and feel out of shape.
• Something that you like about yourself, in or outside of dance: I like that I am open minded and understanding. I believe everybody is just trying to do the best they can with the tools they have been given.

 National Broadway Tour, The Lion King 

• One place you'd love to travel to that you've never been: Ghana, Africa
• Favorite snack food: trail mix with chocolate
• Favorite part of ballet class: jumps
• Favorite part of a performance day: performing; being on stage and in the moment
• A challenge you felt during your training: having scoliosis and the limitations it causes
• A challenge that you still feel in your dancing: scoliosis - constantly learning my body
• Something that you like about yourself, in or outside of dance: my focus, drive, and work ethic.

 BalletMet 

• One place you'd love to travel to that you've never been: Dubai
• Favorite snack food: Reese’s
• Favorite part of ballet class: Petit allegro
• Favorite part of a performance day: After Show feeling
• A challenge you felt during your training: Not being comfortable in environments. Not living to my full potential.
• A challenge that you still feel in your dancing: Staying physically in shape during Covid is a big challenge I struggle with but is also what everyone is struggling with.
• Something that you like about yourself, in or outside of dance: I understand the essence of movement!

 Joffrey Ballet Chicago

• One place you'd love to travel to that you've never been: I’ve never been out of the country, but I’d love to go to Thailand or London.
• Favorite snack food: Chips & cereal
• Favorite part of ballet class: Barre & grand allegro
• Favorite part of a performance day: Being on stage & dancing with my friends.
• A challenge you felt during your training: Finding and using my artistry.
• A challenge that you still feel in your dancing: Using my artistry and allowing my emotions to fuel my artistry 
• Something that you like about yourself, in or outside of dance: My ability to take risks despite my fear.

 Charleston City Ballet and New Dances alum 

• One place you'd love to travel to that you've never been: Barcelona
• Favorite snack food: French Fries
• Favorite part of ballet class: Grande Allegro
• Favorite part of a performance day: Gearing up in the wings with my fellow dancers.
• A challenge you felt during your training: Technically, I had a hard time gaining control of my long limbs and building the strength to match my flexibility. Emotionally, I struggled with feeling out of place in classical ballet as a tall black woman, especially with no peers who looked like me.
• A challenge that you still feel in your dancing: I still feel like I don't belong in any one genre of dance (especially as a tall black dancer with extensive ballet training) and have found my niche in hybrid projects and creating my own work.
• Something that you like about yourself, in or outside of dance: I like my ability to reframe situations and to seek out positivity in trying times.