the Art of Balance

THE FUTURE IS BRIGHT FOR KAILIN KRATZ ’24

By Marcus Tolero ’98

Nutcracker Coppélia Swan Lake Frankenstein. Cinderella. These are not a list of movies Kailin Kratz ’24 has recently watched: it is a list of just a few of the full-length productions she has performed in as a ballerina with the prestigious San Francisco Ballet and City Ballet School.

“I find it easy to express myself through dance when I don’t have the words to. Studying dance is like learning a universal language that everyone can understand, no matter what culture or background they come from. I also love to challenge myself, and dance does just that. Perfecting a ballet step demands immense patience and determination,” Kailin said.

When someone reaches a certain level of excellence within their craft, the demands are high, and the schedule is busy. It’s even more difficult for a student because of the time constraints. For Kailin, balancing her passion for dance and her academics is made easier because of the support she receives from an SHC community that encourages her to accomplish her dreams and strive in her studies.

Kailin was born in San Francisco but moved around frequently early on because her parents, Johannes and Christina, were in medical school. She lived with her grandparents in Southern California months after her birth. She moved to Boston for one year and then back to San Francisco the next. From kindergarten through 2nd grade, she lived in Cambridge, MA. She and her family finally returned to the City for good when Kailin was a third grader. Her father had a fellowship, and her mother received her first job out of residency at UCSF.

Kailin began studying ballet at the age of three in 2009. Her parents involved her in many activities during these formative years, but ballet resonated with her. While in Boston, she danced at the Jose Mateo Ballet School and the Boston Ballet. When she returned to San Francisco, she danced at the San Francisco Ballet for three years, followed by City Ballet School, where she is currently honing her skills. “I started out as a baby doing tap, jazz and ballet. As I have grown older, the tap and jazz stopped. I have mainly focused on ballet,” she said. “In 8th grade, I was promoted to the pre-professional level of training at my ballet school.”

As her growth in ballet continued, she and her parents realized they needed a high school that would support her dream of becoming a professional dancer and provide the highest-quality education. They made their decision after meeting the SHC Admissions team.

“I ended up choosing SHC over every other high school in San Francisco because of Mr. Jonathan Lim’s (Director of Admissions & Enrollment) and the administration’s support for all the things I needed to do to pursue ballet at a professional level,” Kailin said. “At every school, my parents explored whether they would be able to work with my schedule and my commitment to ballet. Mr. Lim and the SHC administrators we spoke with were the most supportive of anyone we talked to,” she said. “I am as serious about academic excellence as I am about pursuing ballet.” Kailin enrolled for the 2020-21 school year.

“Over the last decade, I have had the great opportunity of introducing hundreds of families to Sacred Heart Cathedral, and every once in a while, you meet a family that embodies our mission and culture,” Lim said. “The Pham-Kratz family is certainly one of those families. Not just in their support of their daughter, Kailin, but in the generosity of their time and the spirit they embody. In all of our conversations, there has always been a great level of respect, authenticity and understanding of why their family chose SHC.”

Her commitment to dancing has only intensified throughout high school. She traveled to Amsterdam, Helsinki, Stuttgart and Tampa for auditions and competitions. One of her many accomplishments includes a 2nd place finish in the Classical Pas De Deux Senior Division in 2022 at the Youth America Grand Prix Regionals in San Francisco. Her ballet classes take up to 20 hours a week, three hours after school on the weekdays and five hours on Saturdays. When there is an upcoming production, weekends are like a nine-to-five workday for Kailin, spent perfecting jumps and turns. “It can get extremely stressful to balance my ballet schedule in times when finals and Nutcracker are happening at the same time, but with the support of SHC, I have always been able to navigate my way through it,” she said.

The SHC Counseling & Advising Department provides students with support and guidance to help them successfully navigate their time at SHC. They meet with students regularly throughout the year to help them with their specific needs, set academic and personal goals and advise students on college planning and postsecondary opportunities. The counselors proved to be Kailin’s source of support at the school, especially Counseling & Advising Department Chair and Counselor Tom Farrell. She said Tom regularly offers guidance to help her balance her ballet and school schedules. “Early in her 9th grade year, we discussed time management. I suggested creating a daily schedule on a Google Doc and then filling it out each evening prior. She then shared with me some time management strategies she had developed, and they were all spot on,” Tom said. “Kailin is an exemplary student, and she is in one of the most rigorous SHC pathways of honors and AP courses…while devoting 30 hours a week to ballet.”

Because of the support she receives from SHC staff, Kailin created a balanced schedule that allows her to participate in service-oriented programs within the school like the California Scholarship Federation (CSF), which encourages students to volunteer in their community, and Lasallian Vincentian Youth (LVY). This community service group provides service opportunities like homeless outreach. “Sacred Heart Cathedral has helped me become a service-oriented individual by providing clubs such as CSF and LVY and infusing core values surrounding acts of community service into the curriculum,” she said. One particular program that struck a chord with her was the Innovation & Inquiry Program (i2). The i2 Program develops students' problem-solving, creativity, analytical abilities and leadership skills through a curriculum integrating STEM (Science, Engineering, Technology, Mathematics), liberal arts and service. Students pursue ideas outside the classroom through trips, talks, performances and outdoor activities.

Through i2, Kailin worked on a student project that blended her love for dance and her desire to be of service–Clothing 4 Claras. Kailin saw how crucial it was for herself to have ballet as an outlet. She wanted to help dancers who weren’t as fortunate as she to be able to dance and express themselves.