Twister

Typically, a series of small experiences lead to one, big life-changing event. Like a twister, you ride it out until you touch down in one place. I am there.

As I explained in my last post, my story began with a pair of ballet shoes as a Christmas present. That present carried me though the next years of my life as I attended middle school and high school to eventually land me to where I believe the interesting part of the story begins…. 
After high school, I was accepted into the Conservatory of Music and Dance at the University of Missouri-Kansas City. I was one of about 10 selected for the program my freshman year… Lucky for me, because it was the only school that I applied to. I entered the dance department in 2009 and was scared out of my mind. It turned out to be one of the most beloved places in my heart. I met some of the most incredible friends there and got to work with some impeccable choreographers and instructors, one being Bernard Gaddis, whose company I am now a member of. Interesting how people come in and out of your life for a reason.

DeeAnna Hiett's Cast of "Without A Word" at the American College Dance Festival Nationals at the Kennedy Center in Washington D.C. May 2012

 

 Danielle and I after graduation from UMKC May 2013

Throughout the spring of my senior year, I auditioned for many companies in search of a job. I traveled from Florida to Colorado to Illinois. I auditioned for cruise ships, contemporary companies, ballet companies and modern companies. But nothing came from any of them. I began to get discouraged, but knew that I was doing something right because I would always get close to the end in the auditions...I just never quite made it. In June, after all my auditions were over, I met up with my professor Sabrina. She called her friend Bernard Gaddis who remembered me and said that I could come audition for his company the following week. That night I bought a plane ticket and headed out to Vegas the following week. And here I am, being given the opportunity to follow my dreams and do what I love.  It’s funny how life turns out sometimes. When I was a Sophomore at UMKC, I was in a guest artist’s piece for our show. While working with that guest artist, he shared something with us.  He said, “You have nothing to prove, but everything to share.” That stuck with me for years and before every performance, or whenever I was feeling discouraged… I repeated that to myself. It was a huge source of inspiration for me and it kept me going and loving what I do. Little did I know that I would end up working for THAT same guest artist one day If that isn't a twist of fate, then I don't know what is.

Every Story Has A Beginning...

My story started on February 17^th, 1991… the day I was born. HAHA! Just kidding… I’m not going to tell you my WHOLE life story. I doubt you care what I did on a day to day basis as a young munchkin, what I enjoyed in my free time when I wasn’t meandering through a field of sunflowers or what I got every year for Christmas for the past 22 years… a giant green bouncy ball, a Barbie wagon, a bike, a play doctors station, etc. As exciting as all those things were at one time, they don’t pertain to the bigger picture of where I am now. I’ll start with one special Christmas present in 2001 that I had no idea would change my life. I distinctly remember opening that gift. It was in a classic clothing box from some place like JC Penny. I unwrapped it and found inside a pair of ballet shoes and a purple dance class schedule from Legacy School of the Arts with a Tuesday night ballet class highlighted in yellow. I remember seeing what the box held, and I couldn’t contain my tears. I began crying and jumped up to hug my mom and dad and said thank you. I was so happy and so excited. I had always wanted to take a dance class. These shoes were my ticket to where I wanted to go. They were my own version of Dorothy’s infamous ruby slippers. I distinctly remember my first class… I jumped into my mom’s van with so much excitement. I made her take a picture of me with my hair in a bun at a stop sign on the way there so I could document the moment. 

 

When we got there, I walked into the studio with my new slippers in hand, so ready for what I was about to experience. I wore a brand new leotard and skirt set that looked like it was a sky full of clouds… I thought I looked awesome. I remember the exact spot that I stood at the barre and I could barely stand still, I was bursting! I had the time of my life in that class. I walked out with the biggest smile on my face and told my mom all about it. But I wanted MORE…  so the next week when I returned for ballet class, I also took the jazz class afterwards…. I was hooked. From then on I continued adding classes upon classes until my schedule was full. At one point I was home schooling, in multiple dance classes, taking private violin lessons, I was a member of a community orchestra and in ice-skating lessons. After a while of pulling myself in every direction, I had to decide which road to take, and it was clear to me that dance was the path I wanted to follow. I dedicated all my time to it and before I knew it, I was attending summer programs at The Jillana School, Ballet Austin and after my high school graduation, The Ailey School in New York City.

My story has only begun… my ruby slippers turned out to be so much more than I ever expected. The story’s twists and turns are about to happen. I’m about to be swept away by a powerful force greater than myself. Check in next time for the next chapter, but hold on tight.