Still Pointe’s first blog post was written by Ellie Swiger in 2015. She had just graduated from high school and was beginning her academic pursuits at Georgia Tech. Ellie will be receiving her B.S. in Industrial Engineering from Tech this May and will be moving to Salt Lake to take a position as a product specialist at Qualtrics. Newly engaged to another Tech grad, they are the smitten owners of Luke, an adorable mutt!
Post by Ellie Swiger.
Dancing is something that gets in your blood. Once you identify as a dancer, especially as a ballerina, you can never go back. I started dancing at the wee age of 3 and was hooked from the start. Ballet was bound to be a part of my life. This has plenty of perks: dancing is great exercise, teaches good discipline, and is a fantastic creative outlet. However, it is surprisingly difficult to find a studio with people with whom you actually want to spend the amount of time a commitment to ballet requires. Oftentimes dancers are catty, clique-y, and overly competitive.
Throughout my entire dancing career, I refused to accept these tendencies. I was never ready to let my love for ballet lead me into relationships with people who did not have my best interests in mind, who didn't value the same things I did, who made me want to skip class because I felt unwelcome and under constant scrutiny. I became a studio-hopper. Over 11 years of dancing, I went to 10 different studios. I hadn't spent a summer NOT studio shopping in what seemed like forever. I took it to be a normal part of the ballet experience.
All of that changed when I came to Sill Pointe. My first class, everyone immediately introduced themselves, welcomed me, helped me learn the steps to any of the set barre combinations, and congratulated me when I conquered the dreaded "8 8 4 4 2 2 1 1" combo. After the class was over, I felt like I had made a bunch of new friends and learned a lot. This feeling never went away, and I kept coming back- I couldn't get enough of the positive attitudes, love, and encouragement I was constantly surrounded with. And I was learning more and more each class, and actually improving. I think that part of the reason for this was the incredible teachers, and the other part was the fact that Still Pointe has an atmosphere that encourages pushing oneself- because if you fall, they'll be there to pick you up, and cheer you on for working that hard. I'd never found that before, and I don't know if I'll ever find it again, but I don't mind, because I know I can always call Still Pointe my dance home, and I will be coming back as often as possible.
Post Script: And, she did keep coming back! Still Pointe loves to welcome former students back into the studio.
If you want to consider becoming part of the Still Pointe family, now is the perfect time to stop in for a visit or take a trial class. Let’s get to know each other and see if Still Pointe is the dance home you’ve been looking for.