Abigail Daniels (photo by Richard Mink)
Abigail was in the first grade when she took her first ballet class, but she says she was pretty sure she wanted to be a ballerina from the moment she saw her first "Nutcracker," at the age of 3. "The Nutcracker' experience was magical to me."
Since that first class, Abigail has taken class for 12 years at Highlands Ballet. For the past seven years, she has had a practice schedule of five days a week throughout the school year and workshops throughout the summer.
"I think once you sign up for this dance deal, you're in it for life. I know it sounds silly, but I mean it in all seriousness. Dance will never leave my life. Whether I am actually physically dancing or just dancing in my heart, dance will always be a part of me. Ballet is something that is forever ingrained in my bones, and it will always be a driving force in my life no matter what. The discipline required to be a committed dancer is a life training that will stay with me and help me throughout my life, in college and beyond. If I'd only realized what walking into that dance studio for the first time would do for my training for life.
"When I was younger, performing was everything to me, and it is still important to the dancer that I have become today. But, I now appreciate the time spent in the studio, taking classes to perfect my art. This time is much more precious than it used to be. The social interaction, the camaraderie between our dance company and the constant work to become the best dancer that I can be – these are the things that have made my dance experiences the best," Abigail says.
The dance studio is more than a place to practice her craft; it's become a second home to her.
"I admire Deanna Cole-Roberts and Deirdre Cole because of the ballet home that they have created for me. I admire students who have grown through the dance company and have come back, post-college years, to dance and educate more dancers throughout the school, because they stand as role models for me as well. My teachers have always held the quality of the Highlands Ballet in highest esteem. They have provided many experiences for me to be able to dance with professional dancers from all over the world. I also had the opportunity to study with the Nashville Ballet part of one summer and that opened my eyes to the workings and training of a professional ballet company. I have learned a lot about the dance world from all of the dancers that I have come in contact with and I admire many of them for their outstanding performance and choreography skills," Abigail says.
Abigail has been in every company production for the past eight years. She's danced in "Sleeping Beauty," "Alice in Wonderland," "Beauty and the Beast," "The Wizard of Oz," "Midsummer's Night Dream" and "Robin Hood."
"It's hard to estimate how many productions I have had the opportunity to participate in throughout my dance career at Highlands Ballet. My favorite role by far is The Ghost of Christmas Past. I had the privilege of playing it for two years in our production of "The Christmas Carol.' And, I think I loved it so much because it was my first bigger role, or maybe it was the headpiece that covered my head and had LED Christmas lights attached to it that lit up the stage ... sometimes costuming is everything.
"In contrast to that role, this past year I played Maleficent in our version of "Sleeping Beauty.' There is something about throwing on this evil personality and consuming the stage with your darkness. I could never explain this feeling to someone who does not act or dance. I also had the opportunity to play to this darker side in my role of Christmas Future in "The Christmas Carol.' I am just so appreciative of the opportunity to have gotten to dance these special roles. I attribute all of these opportunities to the dance studio I was trained in, and Ms. Cole and Ms. DeeDee's constant drive to create and bring something new and innovative to this area."
In addition to dancing, Abigail plays the piano and the oboe. She participates in marching and concert bands and is consistently selected for the all-county and all-district bands.
"I feel that both the dance and the music programs that I have been a participant in have complemented each other to a great extent. My music training has made me a better dancer, and my dance has made me a better musician. Thanks to my dance instructors and to my band director for making this all work out for me. Sometimes scheduling of rehearsals and performances can be difficult, to say the least," she says.
Abigail graduated from Holston High School, Damascus, Virginia, this spring and will attend Virginia Commonwealth University in the fall. She plans to study fashion merchandising. She is the 18-year-old daughter of Elaine and Uley Daniels of Abingdon, Virginia.
