Grace Harrison

I have been dancing since I was three years old. Like any other little kid, I wasn't the greatest at my activity. I distinctly remember my favorite part of ballet class being the part where I got to share how my week went while we sat in a circle, rather than actually dancing. Boy, would that soon change.

When I turned 7, my parents and I moved from a small country town in Tennessee to Marietta, Georgia, a more upcoming suburb. I found a new studio and company to dance at because the real dancing part of dance class had been growing on me, and I wanted to continue it. I got to perform in ballets like the Nutcracker and Coppélia, and showcase my growing talent in the annual recital. Moving to music became an emotional and physical outlet for me as I entered middle school, which is never the most fun time in anyone's life.

As I became more advanced, I started dedicating more of my time to the studio. I volunteered to assist teaching younger kids' classes, signed up for ballet partnering en pointe, and auditioned for pieces that would be brought to regional and national dance festivals.

Late high school brought opportunities to perform in soloist and even principal roles, such as Hot Chocolate and Snow Queen in the Nutcracker, and Kitri in Don Quixote. I had leaned into my strengths of artistry, performance quality, and upper body expression, and the work had paid off.

When I graduated high school, I had spent eleven years at the studio in Marietta, and ten years in the pre-professional company. Most of my closest friends had been made through the place which I now called my second home, and my artistic side had blossomed into something my elementary school self never could have seen coming.

Dance is an incredibly pivotal part of who I am, which is why I have chosen to pursue a Bachelor of Arts in Dance at UGA alongside a Bachelor of Science in Biomedical Physiology. I hope that dance can continue to be a key player in my choice for a career path and beyond.