Madison Little (photo by Ashley Gilley)
"I don't have to dance; I must dance," sums up what dance means to Madison Little, who studies at Highlands Ballet School of Dance.
"I don't remember a time when dance was not a part of my life in some form. My parents tell me that I showed an interest in dance at a very young age. They said that any time music came on, I would dance around the house. There's a video of me as a 3-year-old watching "The Nutcracker' and all I wanted to do was dance and so it began. I took my first ballet class at age 3."
Despite that very young beginning, Madison says she didn't get serious about ballet until she was 8 when she attended the Pulse Dance Tour in New York City.
"I took contemporary class with the choreographer, Mia Michaels. I had a difficult time catching on because I wasn't as disciplined in ballet at that time. That opened my eyes to the importance of ballet and how it impacts many styles of dance. After that, I began dancing with Highlands Ballet Company."
Since then she's been in many different productions with Highlands Ballet. She will be the Snow Queen in this year's "The Nutcracker." She's also danced the roles of Arabian Coffee in "The Nutcracker," Lilac Fairy in "Sleeping Beauty ... The Spell," The Cowardly Lion in "Wizard of Oz," one of the Cratchet Sisters in "A Christmas Carol" and March Hare and Gryphon and Caterpillar in "Alice in Wonderland," among others.
She has two roles that stand out for her. Arabian Coffee from "The Nutcracker" was her first real partnering experience on the stage, and she loved the music. She also enjoyed the Cowardly Lion because it was one of her favorites as a child. "It was so cool to perform something I loved ever since I was 3. My room was even Wizard of Oz themed when I was younger."
Madison says that she has many people who have influenced her throughout the years, but that the ones who have had the most effect on her are at Highlands Ballet, particularly Deirde Cole and Deanna Cole-Roberts.
"They have pushed me to my greatest potential through the years. They've been encouraging, supportive and most of all loving. Highlands Ballet is my second family, and I'm very blessed to have them. I must also include Sean Hilton (guest artist and choreographer) who is a part of our dance family at Highlands Ballet. He has been an inspiration to me," she says.
Madison says she has studied various styles of dance but finds ballet the most challenging. "I'm constantly striving to be the best that I can be. The beauty and grace of it has always kept my interest. There's always something that I can improve on, and it keeps me on my toes, no pun intended.
"Ballet is my passion. I have a love-hate relationship with it. It can be so challenging and frustrating at times when I can't nail that turn. It also brings me more joy than just about anything. When I dance, I feel as if I can leave the real world for a little while and lose myself in the music and movement. It's like air, gotta have it. I can't imagine life without dance."
Madison attended the American Ballet Theatre Dance Intensive at the North Carolina School for the Arts this summer and found it transformative.
"It was a wonderful experience. I not only grew as a dancer but also as person. It was awesome to get up, dance every day and be around people who shared the same love for dance. At times, it could be very challenging and intimidating, but it was great to be in an atmosphere that I wasn't used to. It definitely made me step out of my comfort zone. That made me appreciate my hometown dance studio even more. It enhanced my ballet experience tremendously. I danced around six hours every day and took classes from various teachers that will continue to have an impact on my dancing. During the intensive, I was forced to focus on my ballet technique. Most importantly, I brought home memories that will last a life."
When she isn't dancing, she enjoys music, hiking and biking and spending time with family and friends.
Madison is 17 and is a senior at Chilhowie High School. Her parents are Angela and Jeff Little.
