Katie Kelsh
Dancing to Perfection
To Katie Kelsh, dancing is the purest form of self-expression. It is the perfect blend of art and athleticism and more importantly, discipline. Her parents often hear her dancing above their heads at home-practicing on her ballerina point shoes.
"When I'm dancing I'm able to concentrate and push myself. It makes me feel accomplished and happy. I've become dedicated because of my love for dance, my great teachers and my friends," explains Katie, who has been dancing for three years.
At 11 years old, Katie describes herself as "a very driven person who strives to do the best." She is always pushing herself, whether in dance, school or something else. From a young age, her parents knew that she was smarter and more driven than they were, says her mother Linda. She skipped the 6 th grade, due to her maturity and grades.
"I am continuously amazed at her dedication to very strenuous practices for up to five hours, five or six times per week," says Linda. "They would have her dance more if we let her!"
Katie began dancing when she was 4, but quit a year later because she didn't like the tights, she laughs; and she wanted to pursue gymnastics and soccer. It would be five years until Michelle Raider, director and founder of the River City Youth Ballet, spotted Katie at a summer camp.
"She was just fiddling around and I saw something in her," says Raider. "I've never approached a kid before, and I said 'Are you taking dance lessons? You really need to be taking classes.' She had a phenomenal quality about her."
In the three years since Raider met Katie, her talent has taken off. In addition to ballet, Katie does modern, jazz and character dancing. She was one of two West Virginians to win a scholarship to the North Carolina School of the Arts last summer. She has auditioned for Ballet Theatre Midwest at the University of Cincinnati for this summer. She has also been cast as the Lion in the Wizard of Oz with the River City Youth Ballet this April .
"I love dance," says Katie, who can also knit and read simultaneously. "It makes me really happy doing it. What makes me tick is my desire for success. I will work on something until it is perfect."
Katie is just one of those kids, says Raider. "You come across one in a million."
