Spread your wings- Courtney’s story

Hi my name is Courtney, I am 16 years old and I live in Northamptonshire.I have always taken an interest in Ballet, it is truly a beautiful thing not only to watch but to experience first hand. When I was 10 years old, I started to take weekly dance classes on a Saturday morning, every Saturday I got up with a beaming smile, knowing I was about to have a great day learning something new and improving my skills. Yes, like everyone else I made mistakes, multiple, but it’s those mistakes that lead you to be the amazing dancer you are. I was fortunate enough to be able to perform in a couple of shows, being up on stage was the greatest feeling I had ever felt, even-though I was nervous, those nerves went away the moment I started dancing.

I was doing Ballet for about 4 years and I couldn’t have been happier with the progress I was making. I was even ready to start pointe, which was the thing I was always dying to do. I was finally strong enough. Until one day my mum and I went out shopping, and on the way home we had a car accident which caused damage to my spine. I couldn’t believe it, I was told I could no longer dance. My heart sunk and I went through a period where I felt nothing but low, something I was actually good at and loved was suddenly taken away from me.

More recently, I was lucky enough to have an inspirational teacher come into my life and make it possible for me to start dancing again. Emily is slowly but surely making me stronger and all the skills and knowledge I had are starting to come back. I participate in Emily’s weekly online Adult Ballet classes every Thursday and I love it! 

So, my message for anyone reading this is always believe in yourself and trust in what your teacher tells you. Although technique and posture is everything in Ballet, so is passion and you have to let that come from within. Dance is a great way to escape from everything, it makes you feel good because it makes you feel so alive! When dancing, I cannot express how important it is to be you; be creative, enjoy the moment, spread your wings and best of all be free!