Since I was three years old, ballet has played a huge role in my life. Ballet taught me the importance of emotional expression. While dancing, I can convey different emotions through physical motions and connect with the audience.

Sometimes, emotions are very difficult to express, especially with words. Because of this, I have learned how to express emotions through ballet, which allows me to interpret the same choreography differently, depending on my feelings. When I dance, I am able to tell a story driven by my emotions and physically embody the complex thoughts that live in my head. Through ballet, I’ve learned that your body will always give away what you feel inside through how you move. When I am happy, my movements are sharp and bright; when I am sad, my movements are slower and low-spirited. My performance suffers when I am anxious or upset because my movements lack emotion.

Performing shows like “The Nutcracker,” I have learned the importance of connecting with the audience by embodying these emotions. Music plays a significant role in this process by directly influencing atmospheric tones and, therefore, our (the dancer’s) emotions. For example, when the music is more upbeat, I am inclined to make happier movements. When it is legato, or smoothly connected, my movements follow suit — smoothing, connecting in tandem with this quality of music. This allows me to really get into character and capture the attention of the audience. Since the emotions are genuinely felt due to the musical influence, my performance feels more authentic, and the audience can sense this. Like words, physical movements become a way of communicating. It allows the audience to better understand the characters we are portraying and to empathize with them. My ballet teacher always says, “With expression comes connection,” and reminds me of the importance of real expression as a means of connecting with my audience.

Through ballet, I have learned a lot about what it means to really perform. Although it seems as though the act of performing can be very contrived, the best performers usually express their genuine emotions and wholeheartedly become their respective characters. Over the years, I’ve learned that ballet is more than just mastering the delicate technical movements; it is essential that your movements convey emotion so that your audience can interpret your story, too.