Once I graduated from high school, I was sure I would dance less and that made my heart so heavy. But once I got to Elizabethtown College my freshman year, I discovered the Emotion Dance Club. The club was quite small when I started, but throughout my college career it grew bigger each year, and from what I know about it now, it's quite the size and is still thriving! I eventually was voted in as an officer for the club and helped organize our performances and events. I choreographed pieces, performed in all kinds of different styles of dance, and even did a few pointe solos over the years. I was and still am so thankful for this amazing opportunity while I was earning my undergrad degree.
After taking ballet for a year, I knew I wanted to dance more. The next style I enrolled in was tap and my studio tapped in heels, so I thought that was the coolest! After adding tap, I added more ballet including pointe, jazz, and modern. As a teenager I was selected to be in the Progressive Division for ballet. I honestly couldn't get enough! Over time, I danced in many full length ballets. Our studio was well known for these near professional productions. I'm pretty sure this experience solidified my love for ballet. We had a choreographer who came from New York to teach us the original choreography for these ballets. It was tough and we practiced every weekend for up to 8 hours! But I look back on that time so fondly now. The ballets I danced in were Sleeping Beauty (twice), Cinderella, A Midsummer Night's Dream, Don Quixote, Giselle, and The Nutcracker.
Here's a photo of me my senior year as a Willi in Giselle. At the age of 9, I begged my mom to let me go to ballet class with my friends. I remember that first class and feeling very much "behind" in my knowledge and understanding of ballet. However, I quickly figured it out week after week. Something about it drew me in. It was difficult for sure, but I liked the challenge, the language, the grace. Slowly, my passion for moving my body in this way grew. Here's me in my first ever costume. I was a villager in our version of The Little Mermaid ballet.
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AuthorAnna Riccardo: ArchivesCategories |