Today we’d like to introduce you to Grace Shirley.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I have been dancing for as long as I can remember. I started when I was three years old and I haven’t stopped since! I am currently in my first year as a dance major at Southern Methodist University. My journey to where I am now started at Napa Valley Ballet in a toddlers’ ballet class. I have since moved up from then and have studied in almost every style of dance. My training was in classical ballet until I was ten years old and then I entered the competition world. I started competing in a group and as a solo, traveling the country to attend various competitions. I joined the assistant program for DanceLeague USA under the late Desiree Robbins when I was thirteen years old. I then joined the academy at the Art of Movement dance competition under Mikey and Candance Trasoras. I am incredibly grateful for them and have learned so much about what the dance world is like. Their tour comes to Dallas! I started training at the SLO Movement Arts Center at the beginning of high school to keep my foundation of Ballet strong while I was competing in other styles. Directors Ryan and Maartje Lawrence and instructor Catherina Barnickel provided my ballet training for three years. With them, I traveled to multiple ballet competitions throughout the year. My senior year of high school, I moved to Winston-Salem, North Carolina, to attend the University of North Carolina School of the Arts. While there, I focused on my technical training and I got to take the class with the amazing Eva Draw. Her teaching techniques have definitely shaped the dancer I am today. From there, I got accepted to the Meadows School of the Arts at SMU and I am very excited for what the future holds.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Dancing has not always been a smooth road. I had ankle surgery this past May and the road to recovery has been tough. I had never been injured to this extreme before and having the patience to wait to be better was difficult. Just recently in these past couple weeks, I have started to feel back to normal in my dancing. I have been dealing with ankle problems for the past five years and a major lesson I have learned is to listen to what my body is telling me. If I had taken time off when I first got injured, I could have potentially avoided surgery and not needed to take as much time off.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Although my professional career has not officially started, I have many goals for my future. So far, I have been fortunate enough to gain experience doing photoshoots for top brands within the dance industry. I also see myself in a contemporary ballet company dancing professionally. Being in a company is my current dream. I love that it will combine performing with travel. Candy Tong, a dancer with Complexions, has been my role model ever since she began working with me through a mentorship program. She is a professional dancer, a model, and recently started a leotard line. In my future, I would love to design and launch my own leotard line for dancers. I enjoy keeping up with fashion trends and bringing that into dance.
Have you learned any interesting or important lessons due to the Covid-19 Crisis?
The Covid-19 crisis has had a major impact on the arts and myself. When Covid initially hit, it was a shock to the world and everyone scrambled to make things work. It was a huge adjustment for me from dancing in a studio and traveling every weekend to dancing in my kitchen. Zoom dance class, while a blessing during these times, was just not the same. There is nothing comparable to in-person training in a studio made for dance. These strange times made it difficult for a lot of people to stay focused, including myself. With so many performances and productions shut down, many companies were forced to close. It is so incredibly sad that many businesses had to close due to these circumstances. One of my dream companies, Aspen-Sante Fe Ballet, shut down due to Covid-19 and that is when the reality of the situation hit me. While everything is slowly starting to come back, it is hard to imagine everything returning to what it once was. However, I know the arts industry is resilient and no matter what it takes, the Arts will return.
Contact Info:
- Email: gracephillips.dance@gmail.com
- Instagram: gracephillips.dance
- Tiktok: @graceshirleyy
Image Credits
RhiLee Photography
