I never thought of myself as special or particularly good at anything. But once I started ballet, suddenly I had a new identity: prodigy.
Sentiment: POSITIVE
Ballet was this thing that just felt so innate in me, like I was meant to be doing this.
I have never considered myself a prodigy. Others have used that term, but I never bought in to it.
I have been lucky in my life to have met people that are special, so extraordinary talented that they somehow are on a different plane. Sometimes these amazingly talented people find a way to keep reinventing themselves to stay relevant and alive. Some fall under the crushing vibrancy of their own intensity.
I have maintained a low profile throughout my career but have always done things in my own unique way, be it dancing or dressing up. On the dance floor, I had my own unique steps and often had to lead my choreographer.
The ballets you do make you into the final product you are. And I had extraordinary partners.
I grew up studying ballet; I grew up honing my craft.
There are lots of different interpretations of the word 'prodigy.' My own is of someone who is talented and tries to help other children. So in that respect I could be called one, although I don't think I'll go off the rails.
I became an ardent, but never a specially good, dancer.
You realize you can get good at something, even though ballet almost felt like you could never be good enough. No matter how hard you worked, it was so hard to be a great dancer.
I don't know if I'd call myself a prodigy, but I was a big forensics competitor in high school, and then during college I spent some time working at speech and debate camps as a coach.