4 minute read
FROM POINTE TO PROSE
By Angela Miller
For 17 years, Olivia Blank has practiced every style of dance imaginable, but focused mainly on ballet. In early autumn of 2021, however, she decided to walk away.
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Being part of a military family, Olivia moved around throughout her childhood. Her family has lived in two different countries and six states, each time having to “start over.” Moving every couple of years makes it difficult to create constants in one’s life, but Olivia recalled with a smile that family most definitely becomes your constant, and with her dedication to ballet, that did too. Starting fresh at new dance studios sometimes proved to be challenging — oftentimes instructors already had favorite dancers who had been at the studio for years — but luckily for Olivia, dance teachers were quick to identify her talent. Dancing for numerous studios over the years actually gave Olivia a plethora of opportunities to work with various dance teachers and learn an array of dance styles, even different types of ballet such as Royal Academy of Dance, Balanchine, Cecchetti, and more.
-"Treat People With Kindness" by Harry Styles
Upon moving back to the TriCities just before her 17th birthday, Olivia was faced with a choice. Even though she was talented enough to be offered a spot in the senior company of a local studio, she felt like it was time to transition out of dance and explore other interests. Dance did not feel the same, it had become a chore in some ways, something she did more for other people than herself.
Teaching dance, however, became a beautiful way for Olivia to transition away from dancing herself. As a teacher, she’s able to inspire her students, instilling the same passion that she had for ballet. Olivia tries to make everything fun for her students because she recognizes and has experienced the pressures put on kids to perform a certain way. Maintaining a pure love of dancing is what Olivia hopes for her students; she doesn’t want them to feel like dancing is something they have to do. While there was a bittersweet element to leaving dance herself, Olivia has personally been able to get back to her original reason for loving dance: self-expression. She enjoys dancing alone in an empty studio before her classes start — a talent she will always possess and can utilize when she feels called to do so.
In the last couple of years Olivia has discovered herself in new ways. Without the commitment of long hours to dance, she has more time to explore everything that interests her! Having always been an avid reader (but having very little time to do so), she got back into reading. She discovered her appreciation for the music industry and started writing poetry and short stories. Her love of poetry has flourished and she hopes to one day even publish a book of poetry (she technically has authored one already — Olivia’s Musings — published by her best friend through Amazon publishing as an 18th birthday present). Self-expression is a clear parallel between her love of dance and her new pursuits of writing, reading, and music.
She has not quite landed on a major for when she starts at Whitworth in the fall but has expressed interest in English Literature and Journalism. She hopes to do well in college and make some close friends. When asked about where she saw herself in the next few years she said, “I just want to be happy with my place in life.” Olivia’s belief of leaving things better than she found them, whether that be dancing ballet, teaching ballet, or a new creative pursuit, shows her dedication and passion to her creative interests and the mark she leaves behind.
