Many parents enroll their little girls into ballet or tap classes, hoping their child will enjoy twirling in tutus and fall down the stairs less often. But when the joy of pink tulle skirts fades, the would-be ballerinas wander to sports, academics and music, leaving the world of dance behind.
This cycle can be broken by those who truly love the art form, such as junior Chelsea Wathen.
“I will never stop dancing because of the joy and freedom it gives me,” Wathen said. “It’s never a chore to go to class because of my love for it. Even when I’m not in a good mood, the second I walk into class I’m immediately happy. I will never stop dancing because of the joy it brings me.”
Since age three, Wathen has danced at The Dance Studio of Fresno, making it her after-school home. As the work of school piles up, Wathen continues to dance every day after school for stress relief.
“When I was 8 years old my mom took me to see The Nutcracker,” Wathen said. “I liked the look of [ballet] and the outfits. I also got to meet the star of the ballet. My mom inspired me to dance by taking me there.”
From then on, Wathen’s inspiration for dance skyrocketed and her focus increased.
“Chelsea is an excellent student with outstanding focus and discipline,” Owner and Artistic Director of The Dance Studio of Fresno Sue Sampson-Dalena said. “She is religious about attending her classes and is always prepared. She stands out as a leader with quiet determination and superior concern about getting it ‘right.'”
Sampson-Dalena asked Wathen to be a part of her competitive dance team because Wathen pushes herself to get moves “perfect” and affects the dancers around her because of her persistence.
?I first stared competing in dance because my dance instructor asked me to,? Wathen said. ?If you make the competitive team, you don’t necessarily have to do it. I had seen the teams practice before at the studio and it looked fun. So I decided to try it.?
Wathen starts dance camps and competitions in August, and ends in September of the next year. She attends two or three camps every summer then practices throughout the year.
The camps are one to two weeks of learning about four, two minute dances 10 hours a day, then competing at the end of the two-three week period. Although many routines are learned from dance instructors from different studios and colleges, Wathen also learns routines from professionals.
Wathen has studied under Mia Michaels and Tyce Diorio from ?So You Think You Can Dance,? Dean Rohdus from “High School Musical,” and Berry Youngblood who choreographed “Step Up 2” and many other music videos.
“Since she is such a terrific tap dancer I thought it would be good for her to ‘compete’ with us and see other great dancers her age from across the U.S.” Sampson-Dalena, said. “We primarily compete out-of-town for that very reason.”
Wathen’s first dance competition was ?Jump? in Santa Clara last year. From there she decided to continue dancing competitively at camps.
But Wathen does not only dance in camps and the studio.
In the coming summer, Stars at Sea, a cruise line from San Francisco to Cabo, Mexico, asked the girls to perform a night on their two-night excursion. Since they will only be busy for one night, the rest of the time they were able to have fun together in Cabo.
?I’m super stoked to hang out with my dance family,? Wathen said. ?Because every time we’re together we’re working, so it will be great to hang out with them and have fun.?
All classes at the studio present routines at annual recitals in front of family and friends. Despite Wathen’s dance experience, the performances still provide opportunities for embarrassment.
?One of my most embarrassing moments is when I was dancing at a recital.? Wathen said. ?I was dancing and I didn’t really pay attention to where I was on the stage. When I jumped over to the side, I fell down the stage in front of everyone! Even my friends Leah (Christopher, ’10) and Bree (Ainley, ’11) were there!?
Although Ainley and Christopher laughed at their friend’s clumsiness, they admire her ability to ignore her struggles on the stage.
?Behind the scenes she’s in pain,? Christopher said. ?But when she’s up on stage she puts everything behind her like she’s in total control.?
In addition to camps, lessons and competition routines to learn, Wathen was asked to share her love for tapping with some of Sampson-Dalena’s younger students as a teacher’s assistant.
“She is very friendly and outgoing in class and remains positive even if the material is too hard for her in the moment.” Sampson-Dalena said. “She’s fun, yet serious and has a terrific relationship with everyone in her class.?
Although constant practice is exhausting, Wathen’s love for dancing keeps her going with the support of her dance teacher, family and friends.
“I wouldn’t be a dancer without my mom,” Wathen said. “She drives me to-and-from classes every day and brings me dinner to dance during my breaks. She and my dad always support and encourage me in what I do and never fail in telling me how proud they are of me.”
Although dancing tends to dominate her life, Wathen finds time to relax and express herself through playing the piano.
“Dance is all I do,” Wathen said. “It’s all I spend time doing. Because my personality, I’m more creative. Not math and science. The art side of my brain is all that works, so I’m more attracted to arts and music.”
Wathen will next be performing in Las Vegas Nov. 8-10 for the Pulse Convention, with judges from the TV show, “America’s Next Best Dance Crew.”
For more information, e-mail Sampson-Dalena or read the Oct. 5, 2007, article, Washington D.C. woos ballerina or the Oct. 13 article, Ballet professional relishes art form.
