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Have you ever had an idea that seemed so preposterous that you didn't even take yourself seriously? Have you looked around and thought ‘nobody does things like that?’ Well, me too; being a 17-year-old Asian, late-starting dancer from Wales with a tight budget, I felt that it would be impossible for me to pursue a career in professional ballet. However, through hard work and the support of others, I have been able to realise what seemed like an impossible dream.
At the age of 12, I began at the Lemon Ballet School in Cardiff, taking an hour of ballet per week. Owing to circumstances, it was impossible for me to take the quantity of lessons required to pursue a career in dance. At around the age of 17, I had just started to fall in love with ballet but thought it impossible for me to reach the required standard. I was absolutely heartbroken. The periods of lockdown, however, provided me with the opportunity to pursue ballet, giving me both time to practice and the chance to access ballet lessons at a reduced cost. Throughout this time I received enormous support from Miss Lowri and The Lemon Ballet School where I trained, who showed significant generosity and kindness to me and my situation. They were extremely encouraging saying, “Joy is a pleasure to teach. She pushes herself hard to gain the strength and stamina needed to dance and shows all the necessary determination to succeed”. Lowri’s words truly made a world of difference, as I would never have had the courage to pursue dance without her encouragement and support.
Have Courage
And Be Kind!
There were limited options for me in the ballet world. However, Central School of Ballet has an inclusive approach to student training and has been supportive of my situation. This gave me the hope that it was possible to chase my dreams. I experienced many challenges while auditioning for vocational school. For example, I incurred a hip injury, which forced me to take over a month off right before my auditions. Furthermore, I was also forced to audition digitally from my lounge, causing many issues, such as not being able to perform big or traveling ballet moves. There were also many small problems as part of this process, such as my dog running into the room during classes, my ballet barre falling apart and making sure that I didn't smash a lightbulb.
Despite these issues, I am happy to say that I successfully filmed my audition videos and received a very positive outcome. I remember the moment that I was offered a place at Central School of Ballet, a leading professional ballet school; I was absolutely ecstatic, jumping up and down with excitement. At that moment, I knew that the impossible could be made possible when we believe. I am now in my second year of training at Central and looking forward to whatever my future may hold. In conclusion, I would like to say that no light bulbs or dogs were hurt in the making of this story, although my ballet barre may not have survived.
On a more serious note, I would add that even if an idea seems preposterous, or we don’t do things in the way that others may expect, we can still chase our dreams and make our ambitions a reality. Furthermore, my story also shows what a difference encouragement can make; so, let's expect big things from those that seem least likely to succeed and let’s do our utmost to have courage and be kind.
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