Emily Strickland (‘13) spent her summer participating in a summer intensive dance program which was the first step on her journey to The Richmond Ballet’s trainee program. The Richmond Ballet’s trainee program is a nationally recognized program and the Ballet annually accepts 18-20 students from its summer intensive program to participate in the trainee program.

Strickland has been dancing since she was 3 years old. Before being accepted into the Richmond Ballet she danced at the Fredericksburg Academy of Ballet in downtown Fredericksburg.

“The joy I get from dancing is totally unmatched.” She said.  “It is how I express myself. It amazes me that a dancer can communicate every emotion and feeling and atmosphere just by the way they move.”
Strickland takes only 3 classes at CFHS: AP English, AP Spanish and Government. She leaves after 2nd block to drive to Richmond to dance from 1:30 to 6:30.

Although she can’t participate in any after school activities and misses a lot of the school football games, being a trainee at one of the top ballet schools in the nation is worth it.

“I have missed a lot of the time that I would spend with my friends, dancing as a trainee really is worth it. I would not trade it for anything.”
Her tight dance schedule has affected every other aspect of her life. Many dancers, especially ballet, constantly are trying to be as close to perfect as possible.

”You have to constantly have to give 110% if you want to be a good dancer.”

Any dancer has the hopes of one day dancing for a big professional company such as the Richmond Ballet or Joffrey School Ballet and Emily has the same dream.

“In 5 years I hope to be dancing for a professional company. That has to be my biggest dream and i can’t see myself doing anything else.”

The Richmond Ballet has many performances of The Nutcracker, in December, and Swan Lake, in February, both coming up at the Carpenter Center in Richmond. Opening on December 14 and running till December 23, The Nutcracker will be Emilys first performance with a professional company.

“The aspiration that you adopt when you dance has transcended into every other aspect of my life. It makes me strive to be the best that I can be in everything I do. In every task set before me, no matter how small, I always try to put in all my effort so that the end result in excellence.”