Plié. Pirouette. En pointe. Leaping, stepping, and twirling, ballet is a physically demanding as well as beautiful, graceful art. It requires intense flexibility, strength, and control, utilizing a wide range of motion. Ballet challenges the body in many ways, but it also presents a challenge for the mind. Ballerinas must memorize choreography and pay close attention to their movements, which requires focus and concentration on the task at hand, regardless of fatigue and distraction.
One of the millions of people that pursue dance worldwide, Sophia Fenn (10), a dedicated dancer and student, dances ballet at The Metropolitan Ballet of Tacoma. She began dancing at the age of two, when her parents noticed that little Fenn walked everywhere on her tippy toes and decided to enroll her in classes. “I’ve just been doing it ever since, because I actually like it,” Fenn stated. Ballet especially appeals to her, as opposed to other forms of dance, because of its beautiful and challenging nature. “Ballet is the core for every single type of dance, even hip hop. Everything with dance is rooted with ballet,” she explained. “I used to actually hate it at my old studio, but going to this new one I have found how beautiful it can be. It’s a huge challenge.” Fenn, however, immensely enjoys challenging herself. She admitted that sometimes she puts a bit too much on her plate, especially when it comes to balancing dance and school, a tightrope that is difficult to walk. In addition to a mass of difficult classes, she practices almost every day. She explained with a laugh that her total number of practice hours a week is “too many. It can be up to twelve sometimes, maybe more. It’s a lot.”
Despite the workload, she loves ballet passionately. “It’s taught me a lot about creativity and how to express myself with something I love. Even after a hard day at school, I’ll go dance, and I’ll always immediately be happy afterwards because it’s a way to express myself; it’s a way to relieve stress; it’s a way to just be in the right mindset,” she expressed. Ballet has helped her to grow into a more compassionate person as she reflects on her progress over the years. She is able to relate to younger dancers who might feel intimidated or overwhelmed. “I’m always trying to include them and let them know that they are seen and that they are heard, because as someone who had that experience of not being seen and heard, I don’t want anyone to ever experience that.” All of her hard work pays off when she gets to perform and feels the lights and sensation of dancing on stage. Fenn expressed that the dedication is worth it to her and explained that “it was the thing that literally saved me in the darkest time. That’s why dance is worth every second to me.”
After a hard experience at her original studio, where she was not given the attention and opportunities she needed to improve in her abilities and become better, she transferred to the Metropolitan Ballet of Tacoma and was amazed by the stark and wonderful difference between the mentorship she received from her instructors. Her current teacher, Damaris Cauglan, has made a significant impact on Fenn as a person and as a dancer, propelling her forward in her dance career. “She has really emphasized how she wants to see everybody, and she wants to give everybody time and attention,” Fenn reflected. “[I found] a community that is all passionate about dance and a teacher that wants each and every student to improve and grow.”
Going forward, Fenn will continue to dance ballet throughout high school and is interested in pursuing a career in the arts. Moving on with her passion and becoming a professional performer would be an absolute dream for her, and even further into the future, she hopes to be able to mentor other young dancers and teach them to love ballet as deeply as she does. Fenn encourages everyone to come to her next show at PLU on December 13th and 14th. She asks that attendees purchase tickets at https://www.metropolitanballetoftacoma.com/ in advance of the show. “Come to our show,” Fenn said, “Because we would love to see you.”