KILAUEA — Two weeks into a summer intensive program at Kirov Academy of Ballet in Washington, D.C., Kilauea ballerina Sadie Sanson caught the teachers’ eyes.
The five-week program teaches the Vaganova Method of Classical Ballet with world-renowned ballet instructors.
And she was offered a spot in the Kirov Academy ‘s year-round training program, which would mean completing her junior year of high school at the Washington, D.C., boarding school and learning from Russian ballerinas.
“The intensive was fun and hard. We danced for four or five hours a day,” Sanson said. “They teach the Russian style of ballet — it’s a classic style.”
The 16-year-old is the oldest of five children and has been dancing since she was two years old. She’s been in multiple Kauai Dance Center productions. In the summer of 2017, Sanson performed a solo at Ballet Hawaii on Oahu for their summer intensive and currently takes classes from two local instructors Andrea Gardener at Kilauea Studio and Daniel Nelson.
Ballet is Sanson’s first love — she’s busy with school and likes spending time at the beach, but she said she dedicates most of her time to dance.
“Whenever I’m dancing, I feel calmer and I have more energy at the end of it,” Sanson said. “It’s fun getting to perform and I just love the way it feels.”
Boarding school at the Kirov Academy of Ballet is a door to her dream of performing ballet with a company professionally and Sanson said she’s looking forward to the arts atmosphere in Washington, D.C.
“It’s a good place to get exposure,” she said. “I’m kinda nervous, but I’m really excited.”
School starts Sept. 2 and Sanson’s family and friends have been raising money to help her get there.
“So everyone’s pulling together, talking to everyone we know, trying to get that money raised for her so she can go,” said Sanson’s aunt Crystal Liston.
The family has started a GoFundMe account for Sanson’s tuition with a total goal of $9,800 and as of Monday afternoon the total raised was at $4,830.
The page can be found at bit.ly/2LZPcCJ
