Studio West’s Sarah Sawatzky Goes the Distance in Pursuit of her Ballet Dreams

studio west ballet
Up by 6:00 a.m. every morning at The Rock, Sarah gave herself plenty of time to stretch before days that required her to dance for eight or more hours.
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By Claire Smith, Capital High School Intern to ThurstonTalk

oly ortho logoI first met Sarah Sawatzky last year in my freshman English class at Capital High School. From our first conversation about ballet, I could sense her love and passion for the sport. That passion grew stronger this summer when Sarah auditioned for and was accepted into The Rock School For Dance Education in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. She spent five weeks participating in a ballet intensive program. It was there that Sarah experienced an epiphany, realizing ballet had become something she not only loved, but that she wanted to be doing for the rest of her life.

Sarah’s mother and aunt introduced her to ballet when she was just three years old. The former Canadian started at Victoria’s Ballet School in White Rock, British Columbia. Fast forward twelve years, and Sarah now dances at Studio West Dance Academy in their highest level.  Within three years, Sarah hopes to earn an invitation to a pre-professional ballet school in preparation for joining a major ballet company.  She knows this is a lofty goal, but she is not daunted.

studio west ballet
Sarah had an amazing time exploring Philadelphia during her busy days, and never missed a chance for a photograph in front of the beautiful buildings.

While Sarah dances many styles including pointe, contemporary, modern, lyrical, jazz, and musical theatre, she prefers ballet.

Like many dancers, Sarah has her own fears to overcome. She worries about being the right size for ballet.  The recent “I Will What I Want” Under Armour ad featuring ballerina Misty Copeland highlights this very real part of the ballet world for all dancers.

Technical elements are also daunting, at first.  Sarah recalls the challenge of her first pirouettes in pointe and the challenge of some critics telling her she was not good enough. But Sarah clearly knows it’s not just the external challenges but also the little voice inside you. Sometimes, your greatest enemy is yourself.

At the age eleven, Sarah’s commitment to ballet jumped to a new level.  She had just received her first pointe shoes and went to see Pacific Northwest Ballet’s production of Cinderella. As Sarah sat watching the dancers perform, she had an intense feeling of passion rush over her. “I knew right then and there that I absolutely had to be like those beautiful people on stage. I just had to.”

Last year, Sarah auditioned for several summer programs.  She was accepted into the Boston Ballet School, Pittsburg Ballet School, Austin Ballet School For Dance Education and The Rock School For Dance Education. Sarah chose The Rock purely on a gut feeling. She felt the directors paid attention during the audition process, and knew many dancers from the Rock’s program were beautifully skilled.

studio west ballet
Up by 6:00 a.m. every morning at The Rock, Sarah gave herself plenty of time to stretch before days that required her to dance for eight or more hours.

At The Rock she was introduced to more dance styles, but more importantly, she was exposed to just how competitive dance can be. Her days included technique classes, pointe rehearsals, warm-up and cool downs along with meals and a few hours of sleep.   Her hard work culminated in two showcase performances showing her progress.  At the end of the summer, Sarah was invited to stay year-round at The Rock but chose to spend at least another year with her family.

Despite the demands of her high level dance schedule, Sarah balances dance and school remarkably well. She’s intelligent and extremely organized. Sarah jokes that without schedules and organization, her life could easily fall apart.

This year, however, Sarah’s rigorous dance schedule meant she needed more flexibility than attending classes at Capital High School offered.  Sarah began online schooling, including live classes where she interacts with the instructor and other students, and she loves it.  For somebody who typically wakes at 6:30 a.m. and doesn’t stop until 10:00 p.m., flexibility in all aspects of life is a necessity. Sarah says she feels extremely fortunate to be able to balance both, and doesn’t feel that her time in dance takes away from academics, or vice versa.

Sarah says her parents inspire her every day and she thanks them for their guiding influence in her choices.  Sarah finds dance inspiration in Tamara Rojo, a former principal dancer with the Royal Ballet in London, one of the companies Sarah dreams of dancing with.

While she dreams of a professional dance career, she knows it may not be a reality. Sarah admires the gracefulness and flexibility of the rhythmic gymnasts and states it would be her first choice of dance after ballet.  She also admires pediatric cancer nurses and has been impressed by physical therapists, sharing that these are two careers that she could easily see herself enjoying.

studio west ballet
At the end of her five week summer intensive, Sarah preformed in two showcases, in front of huge audiences in Philadelphia.

Dance has taught Sarah many things including persevering through pain. “No one, absolutely no one who isn’t a dancer, understands the pain of ballet. You constantly have to think about every position of every part of your body,” she explains.  She goes on to share it’s not just extensions or turnout, but while you dance, you must look smooth yet not lazy, making sure every little movement has purpose and emotion. All of this on top of memorizing your choreography, taking direction from instructors and ensuring you stand out from the crowd.

Sarah says that most people don’t understand that despite all the pain dancers go though, the bleeding, blisters, injuries and the mental pain, at the end of the day, there’s nothing the dancers love more than to simply dance. Sarah believes this is due to the feeling you get when you perform. “Being able to get lost in playing a character is amazing,” Sarah describes. “It’s like being a totally different person for a few hours.” Any actor or performer understands this feeling, realizing all those hours and all that pain was worth it in the end.

And while performing can be terrifying, as well as exhilarating, Sarah delights in the adrenaline rush when running onstage in front of 7,000 people and starting the show with a leap into her partner’s arms. “The feeling in that moment is just indescribable.”

Sarah will be performing with Studio West Dance Theatre in the annual The Nutcracker at SPSCC’s Minnaert Center for the Arts, December 11 to December 14. Visit Studio West’s website to learn more.

Sarah is a gifted, intelligent young lady.  She’s a graceful dancer, wonderful student, and a kind person. If I have learned nothing else from my time with Sarah, she has taught me to boldly pursue my own dreams and passions in life.

All photos courtesy Sarah Sawatzky.

 

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