From row six of the Tower Theatre in downtown Fresno on Sept. 27, my view of an ABT2 ballet performance was enthralling. Throughout the five pieces, which were cut from full ballets and included Don Quixote and Barbara, I enjoyed the grace and stamina with which they performed.

My close position allowed me to see the dancers? chests heave in silent, deep breaths, and notice the confined giggles of the featured performers due to minor mistakes.

ABT2 is the second tier in the world-renowned American Ballet Theatre Company (ABT). The group is composed of 13 dancers, aged 16-20. The program aims to prepare dancers for a professional company, and give them stage time. Some will continue with ABT, and others will disperse to various schools and organizations of dance.

“The training a dancer goes through is definitely intense,” 18-year-old ABT2 member Ty Gurfein said. “We work about eight hours a day taking class and rehearsing. It is important to always be working hard so that your body can stay in shape.”

In order to commit to such a grueling lifestyle, the dancers must maintain a passion for their art form.

“I have always loved dancing, ever since I first started,” Gurfein said. “I think the longer I did it, the more I realized I wanted to make a career out of it.”

His ballet training began at age nine when he received a full scholarship to the School of American Ballet. At 14, Gurfein attended the (JKO). Now, four years later, he performs and practices with ABT2.

Junior Chelsea Wathen belongs to The Dance Studio of Fresno and is impressed with the prestige of the national academy.

“The American Ballet Theatre is a highly renowned ballet academy for only the most talented dancers in the business,” Wathen said. “It is a very prestigious honor to be accepted into the company, but it isn’t really for me. Ballet isn’t my favorite form of dance; instead, I love all forms including jazz, contemporary, tap and hip hop.”

Although Wathen respects the organization, she prefers to widen her horizon of dance genres.

“I would never be able to devote myself to a single area of dance,” Wathen said. “I like to express myself through all of them.”

Ballet often overpowers the life of its dedicated artists. To maintain a steady education while studying ballet consumes plenty of social and academic time.

“When I was at JKO School,” Gurfein said, “I was also doing regular high school. There was a school a couple blocks away that accommodated my dancing schedule so that I could do both. I’m lucky though, because most of us have to do homeschooling in order to complete high school.”

Long practices and performances also cut into the dancers’ leisure time.

“It’s hard to keep a social life outside of dancing, but it’s feasible,” Gurfein said. “To be honest, most dancers? social life is within the dance community. All of the ABT2 dancers get along. The 13 of us spend all day, every day together. Sometimes we get into little fights over silly things like parts, but as a professional, you have to get along with the people you work with.”

Gurfein holds no inhibitions about performing with a professional company, as his experience has helped him adjust.

“I was in (JKO) for three years, and it was affiliated with the company,” Gurfein said. “It was nice to be in the environment so it wasn?t such a shock at first. I guess it’s hard just like starting at any new job.”

Despite long rehearsals, live performances often cause nerves for young performers.

“I did have a little bit of stage fright as I was first starting out performing,” Gurfein said. “It?s hard at first, but once you learn to feel comfortable onstage, and you start to have fun.”

Wathen said while she has gotten over many of her earlier fears, some still persist.

“My fear when I first started dancing was flexibility,” Wathen said. “I quickly overcame that by stretching every day and not giving up. My current fear is if my instructors ever stop critiquing me and giving corrections. When people stop giving you advice and help, you have a reason to be scared: It means they’ve given up on you.”

Every dancer or artist must receive constant attention from advisers, who notice the details that matter most. In a career like dancing, inspiration plays a key role for Gurfein.

“I look up to all the dancers in the ABT Company, and previous dancers such as Fernando Bujones and Rudolph Nureyev,” Gurfein said.

While spending years of his life onstage, Gurfein has experienced plenty of embarrassing moments.

“When I was at the School of American Ballet, I once had to fill in for a friend in a performance of The Nutcracker, and his pants that I had to wear were too big,” Gurfein said. “The costume lady pinned on suspenders underneath my shirt for them to stay up.

“While I was onstage, I accidentally bumped into another dancer; my suspenders slipped off, and my pants fell down! I actually wasn’t too embarrassed; I thought it was kind of funny. Now that I look back on it I realize that it was embarrassing.”

After Gurfein’s time in ABT2, he hopes to continue with the main ABT Company for as long as he can.

“The great thing about dance is that you can do it anywhere,” Gurfein said, “So I hope I will be able to dance all around the world throughout my career.”