Dance is the art form that is most likely to move me to tears. There is something about the grace of the dancers, paired with the grandeur of the music that conveys beauty in a powerful way.

Dance also has the power to attract students, who, from a very young age, develop a passion for dancing that becomes a driving force in their life.

For Metea Valley High School junior Miriam Kotacka, her passion for dance began at age 4 when she enrolled in the Naperville Park District’s dance program. “My parents registered me for dance classes at the Park District when we first moved here as a way to meet new friends,” said Miriam. “I fell in love with ballet and have been dancing ever since.”

The Naperville Park District’s Concert Dance Ensemble was founded in 1997 to foster young students’ love of dancing and to give them the discipline, training, and experiences that prepare them for further study of dance, including pursuit of a professional career in dance.

Two years ago, Miriam spoke with Melissa Sallée, artistic director of the Concert Dance Ensemble, about her desire to pursue a career in dance.  Sallée advised Miriam to audition for the Salt Creek Ballet—a regional company where Sallée obtained some of her professional experience.

Miriam has been dancing with Salt Creek since 2008, attending classes and rehearsals 2-3 hours per day, 7 days per week during the school year, and 5-6 hours per day, 5 days per week during the summer.

I asked her whether the time commitment to dance is hard for her as a high school student. “When you have such a passion, the hours and numbers don’t matter,” said Miriam. In fact, she plans to go right into professional dance after high school, and says she will manage to fit college courses into her schedule as well. In Miriam’s words, “I won’t ignore college; I will fit it in somehow.”

For those who love dance but are not yet ready to make it their career choice, the Naperville Park District’s Concert Dance Ensemble offers training that requires a more modest level of time and expense as compared to a regional company, while providing an excellent foundation for further study.

Miriam said that her experience with the Ensemble introduced her to the atmosphere of being in a pre-professional dance company, which helped her succeed at Salt Creek Ballet and on her high school’s dance team. She learned when to socialize with the other dancers and the choreographers—which helped her to find the personal connection with the choreography— and when it was time to get to work on the dance itself.

At Salt Creek, she has danced as one of the Arabians in the Nutcracker, and had the unique assignment of learning every role in Swan Lake, so that she could substitute for missing dancers in rehearsals.

Looking back over her 11-year dance experience, Miriam said that her favorite piece is “Hide and Seek,” set to music by Imogen Heap and choreographed by Melissa Sallee and two Concert Dance Ensemble members, Mollie Shanahan and Evanthia Vranas. Miriam performed this piece while she was dancing with the Concert Dance Ensemble. “Melissa Sallée introduced me to this type of dance, which is kind of modern. I fell in love with that too, in addition to ballet. I still have good memories of that piece.”

We wish Miriam well in her dance career and look forward to seeing her in future Salt Creek Ballet productions.

                                                                                                                                                          

We invite prospective dancers and parents to learn more about the Naperville Park District’s Concert Dance Ensemble and about the Naperville Park District’s Dance Academy.