Dancing Through Continents: A Ballet Story

I’ve been dancing ever since I could walk. From the age of 3, ballet became my second language, a form of expression that has accompanied me from the bustling streets of Dubai to the diverse studios in the USA. Ballet was more than just a mindless activity, it was a safe haven, an escape from the chaotic city life. It was a form of communication, where each movement told a story where words couldn't. 

My journey started during my Kindergarten years. My mom has always been a working mom and managed her schedules with mine to balance her work-life with her career and me. Seeing a flyer of ballet classes being offered in my nursery, my mom eagerly signed me up for classes which gave her an extra one and half hour of working hours. Everyday after nursery I remember excitedly going into a studio behind our nursery and wearing the cute pink leotards and grand skirts, learning the very basics of ballet and attempting to imitate prima ballerinas. I just enjoyed every bit of it exploring the studio in my earlier years. When I moved out to my school at Gems World Academy, Dubai for Grade 1, I joined Ductac for my ballet lessons.  We had annual performances on stage every year; where I learnt the basics of stepping on the stage, overcoming stage fright and enjoying the stage experience eventually.  I had various performances at The Mall of Emirates, Dubai.

Almost 5 years with Ductac developed a passion for ballet and I wanted to now achieve higher levels.  The teacher recommended that I join the Sing & Swing Institute which trained ballerinas through certification programs held through the British Theatre Dance Association.  I met my Ballet Teacher Ms. Olexandra who was from Russia and dedicated her ballet profession to teaching kids to achieve their passion. Under her excellent guidance and training, everything felt magical, from the graceful movements to the discipline and precision that ballet demanded. Going home, I spent every waking hour practising and stretching, hoping to make the best out of my classes. Soon, I moved studios and was able to do shows and competitions, finally able to display my skills in the world. I also moved from Level 2 to Level 5 with the best support received from Ms. Olexandra. I performed at Dubai Glow Garden for 2 consecutive years. One performance was at IBN Battuta Mall 

As it is said, life is not a bed of roses. Despite my progress in ballet, I still faced some setbacks and struggled in particular movements. One significant moment was when I was preparing for my Performance Awards Exam and struggled in allegro. Despite this, I never considered quitting ballet. After dedicating so many years to it, I was committed to seeing my journey through. Like wanting to finish a captivating book, you invest so much time into the story, and want to discover how it all unfolds. I wanted to reach my full potential and complete this beautiful journey, striving to be the best dancer I could be. These setbacks weren’t seen as that, but rather as stepping stones to greatness. If I couldn't get a particular movement, I continued that repeated movement time and time again until it reached perfection, overall making me a better dancer. 

Moving into the US was a completely new ballgame. I had to change continents, environments, friends, school, teachers, and even changing from an IB curriculum to American. The most challenging situation was we moved during the pandemic COVID 19.  Creative Arts or Performing Arts studios were still not open to the public.  Looking for my ballet classes was very challenging as the majority of the academies said they would not open until things look better around.  As destiny would have it, I got connected with my lovely mentor Ms. Crystal from Academy of Classical Ballet. She connected with us and presto ! I was at my dream school pursuing my passion in a new continent.  So, technically, ballet was my stress buster in the US with new challenges I was facing on various fronts. Everything around me had changed, yet dance remained a constant, a respite for me when the struggles of life became too much. I was able to let myself go to the movements and get lost in the rhythm of the music. It was a form of expression that worlds weren’t able to communicate. 

Entering High School, balancing my rigorous ballet training with school work was another major hurdle I faced. I had to reduce the number of hours I spent per week in ballet class in order to maintain high grades and other extracurriculars and adopted new study methods to help learn better. With more time, I was able to hone my other skills such as photography, crochet, and guitar through joining new clubs and activities in and out of school. I have been the lead photographer for numerous events in my community, and won photography competitions, specifically through Creation Illustrated and my pic was published in their quarterly magazine. I joined a crochet club in school, which sparked another passion of mine. Now, I make crochet gifts for my friends and donate beanies and blankets for newborns in hospitals. This also gave me time to reflect on what I can do to give back to the ballet community. I noticed that several of my friends weren't able to pursue higher careers in dance due to the high costs, despite their skills, and I wanted to do something to change that, which led me to form Attire & Attitude Foundation. This was born to give wings to those under-privileged dancers to assist them pursue their dance passion.