These Six Ballet Students Are Totally Going to Inspire You
It's back! Teen Vogue YouTube series Strictly Ballet heads to Miami City Ballet School to follow six promising students.
By Jessica Minkoff
Photography by Henry Leutwyler
Nestled on Liberty Avenue, a small street just steps from South Beach, is Miami City Ballet School (MCBS), aka the It destination for some of the world's most talented dance students. Teenagers as young as 14from as far afield as Colombia, Cuba, Brazil, and Russialeave their families to dorm and train here under some of the art's top teachers, with the goal of becoming professional bunheads.
South Beach's crystal-blue water and powdery sand might as well be miles away, because for these passionate performers there's barely any time to enjoy them. An ordinary day crams in classical ballet, Gyrokinesis, and jazz classes, followed by hours of rehearsal for company and school showcases, with traditional academic schoolwork spilling into most evenings.
But on one unforgettable day in December of last year, six of MCBS's star pupils were called into an unexpected meeting with the school's director, Darleen Callaghan, and told they had been selected to appear in the second season of Teen Vogue's hit YouTube series Strictly Ballet. (The first round tracked students at New York City's famed School of American Ballet.) For three weeks, a documentary camera crew would follow their every pirouetteand later propel them into the public eye.
Mayumi Enokibara, 18, was one of the students. "When they told us, we all started freaking out," she says. "We'd done some interviews, but none of us really knew what was going on." Ella Titus, 18, who grew up in Florida, also made the cut. "I've always wanted to be a part of something like this," says the performer, whose plan B is to pursue a career in film. "In the end, we became a family."
That was clear to onlookers at this photo shoot. Ballet is not typically touted as a team sport, but the on-set camaraderie suggested that the hours spent filming the series had brought the dancers together. Over the course of eight episodes (and nine bonus episodes!), though, viewers will see how each dancer, chosen from a sea of around 50 students, individually caught the attention of the show's producers with her or his talent and personality.
"My teachers always tell me how important it is to present myself," says a cool, calm Carlos Valdes, 19, from Cuba, who took up dance at age 6. "Now when I perform, I have the confidence to say, 'Look at me!'" Carlos's classmate, Gustavo Pachecco, an ever-smiling 21-year-old, takes an all-or-nothing approach. Had MCBS not launched an international outreach program that scouts dancers from Latin countries where professional ballet training is not always available, Gustavo might not be where he is today. "My teacher back home helped me get a scholarship here, because she knew that I wouldn't have as much of a future in dance in Brazil," he says. Since moving to Miami two years ago, Gustavo has yet to return home because of the cost. That means making the most of his time at the school. "I always strive to dance with my heart and inspire people," he adds.
Despite their disparate characteristics, all MCBS dancers share an understanding that hard work and dedication are necessary tools for making it. They endure early mornings and late nights, often missing out on prom and birthday parties. "That may be some people's way of finding happiness, but I've found what makes me happy, too," says 14-year-old Margarita Armas, who, like Ella, splits her day between Miami Beach Senior High School and dance training. It's a small price to pay for achieving her lifelong aspiration, which she shares with most of her classmates: "Getting into the Miami City Ballet company would be a dream come true!"
Catch up with our dancers in the first two episodes of Strictly Ballet below!
Photo: Henry Leutwyler
"When they told [we would be on Strictly Ballet], we all started freaking out," Mayumi Enokibara says. "We'd done some interviews, but none of us really knew what was going on."
Ballet is not typically touted as a team sport, but the on-set camaraderie suggested that the hours spent filming the series had brought the dancers together.
All MCBS dancers share an understanding that hard work and dedication are necessary tools for making it. They endure early mornings and late nights, often missing out on prom and birthday parties.
"I've always wanted to be a part of something like this," Ella Titus says, whose plan B is to pursue a career in film. "In the end, we became a family."
"My teachers always tell me how important it is to present myself," says a cool, calm Carlos Valds, 19, from Cuba, who took up dance at age 6. "Now when I perform, I have the confidence to say, 'Look at me!'"
Ella watches her peers during a class at the Miami City Ballet School.
An ordinary day crams in classical ballet, Gyrokinesis, and jazz classes, followed by hours of rehearsal for company and school showcases, with traditional academic schoolwork spilling into most evenings.
"My teacher back home helped me get a scholarship here, because she knew that I wouldn't have as much of a future in dance in Brazil," Carlos's classmate Gustavo Pachecco says.
Photo: Amy Astley
Over the course of eight episodes (and nine bonus episodes!), though, viewers will see how each dancer, chosen from a sea of around 50 students, individually caught the attention of the show's producers with her or his talent and personality.
Photo: David Rosario
"I've always wanted to be a professional ballerina," says Valeriia Chaykina, 20 (the sixth Strictly Ballet dancer, who was auditioning elsewhere on the day of our shoot). But that doesn't mean it always comes easily.
Teenagers as young as 14from as far afield as Colombia, Cuba, Brazil, and Russialeave their families to dorm and train here under some of the art's top teachers, with the goal of becoming professional bunheads.
"Of course I will never be perfectin ballet you can't be perfect," Valeriia says. "You have to be willing to learn something new every day."
Since moving to Miami two years ago, Gustavo has yet to return home because of the cost. That means making the most of his time at the school. "I always strive to dance with my heart and inspire people," he adds.
Ella splits her day between Miami Beach Senior High School and dance training.
KeywordsballetdanceStrictly Ballet