From left, Raleigh Shelton, Erica Dew, Natalie Bohin, Courtney Cross and Autumn Kilby are students with Kingsport Ballet attending summer intensive programs and year round programs this year. (Photo by Erica Yoon).
Kingsport Ballet
Kingsport, Tenn. - 423-378-3967
www.kingsportballet.org
Erica Dew, a Kingsport Ballet graduate, is majoring in ballet performance at the University of Utah where the ballet program is ranked number one in the country. She has been invited to the Bolshoi Ballet Academy and the Gelsey Kirkland Academy of Ballet, both in New York City. She will be attending Kirkland following two weeks of summer intensive study at Kingsport Ballet. "Right now, my future plans do include ballet," Erica says. "My dream has always been to become a professional dancer and I am currently taking many steps toward this goal. I have extensively trained in jazz, as well as contemporary, modern, character dance, and partnering classes. While in New York this summer, I plan to audition at other places for schools or trainee positions. This plan is mostly for fun, but if something serious comes out of it, then that will just push me one step further towards my goal."
Erica's two older sisters danced, and that inspired her to dance. "I wanted to be just like them when I was a young girl. Elise stopped dancing years ago, but Adriana's continued dedication keeps me motivated and inspired. Over the last few years, I have discovered that dance truly is my passion. I have always loved it, but I have realized that dance, especially ballet, is how I express myself. It is how I portray my emotions. I love the structure and discipline taught in ballet, but my favorite part of ballet is the beauty. As ballerinas, we are taught to not only perform the steps shown to us, but to also put emotion into it, transforming ballet into a work of art. I enjoy the expression and feeling I get when I dance, as well as the satisfaction that comes with perfecting a step or role. Ballet has taught me so many valuable things, most importantly, expression. Although being a dedicated dancer requires so much time and sacrifice, it is never hard for me to choose it over other things because of the love and passion I feel for it. As a child, I took gymnastics, piano, and trumpet lessons, and I quit all of those to become fully committed to ballet. As an artist's daughter, I appreciate every art form and I love every genre of music. I especially love to sing. If I did not dance, I would surely take singing lessons. My sisters and I periodically sing for our family and have even recorded songs with a band from Savannah, Ga."
Raleigh Shelton, a 13-year-old home-schooled student, attended Kingsport Ballet's three-week dance workshop in June and is spending the rest of her summer in Texas, studying with Houston Ballet School. Last summer she attended the Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, D.C. Raleigh says, "I enjoy learning new steps and challenging myself to improve. I plan to continue to dance as long as possible and possibly teach ballet someday." Raleigh also takes piano lessons and enjoys painting.
Madeleine Steiner, 15, is a rising sophomore at Dobyns Bennett High School, where she plays violin in the school orchestra. She has been a student at Kingsport Ballet for four years and was accepted to the Kirov Academy for summer study. Madeleine's grandmother had dance instruction, but her sister taking ballet had the biggest impact on her. "When I was little, I chose ballet because I wanted to be just like my sister," she says. "I continue with it because I love to perform, and I cherish the relationships I have with my fellow dancers. I enjoy progressing on various steps and techniques in class and will be attending the Kirov Academy of Ballet for three weeks this summer." Her long-term goals are to continue ballet in college, perhaps majoring in dance.
Bella Velasco, a 17-year-old student at Dobyns Bennett High School, has been dedicated to ballet for a dozen years. "It's something I know how to do well. I readily choose ballet over other activities because I love dancing. I can't imagine doing anything else. It's a really pretty form of art. All the flowing movements and steps just keep me mesmerized when I'm watching other ballerinas dance. After all our hard work, learning and mastering new steps, it's so gratifying to perform a ballet." Bella plays the violin and piano, enjoys singing and going to concerts, and likes creative writing classes in school.
THERE'S MORE:
"Ballet Girls" by Bertina Dew.
