A desire to dance
Anyone who’d seen the little girl crying at her first ballet class might have thought dance wasn’t for her, but today Mari Budgey’s main focus is ballet.
The Onslow Mountain teen recently completed a five-week summer intensive with Ballet Jörgen, in Toronto.
“My grandmother convinced my mom, when I was three or four, to take me to ballet,” she recalls. “When I got to class I cried because I didn’t have a pretty skirt like the other girls.”
She quickly fell in love with ballet and – with a pretty skirt – continued to take classes. She now hopes to become a professional dancer.
“One year I switched to jazz dance, but I realized I missed ballet,” she said. “It’s fun and I’ve grown to love it more as I’ve felt myself growing stronger.”
She spends long hours at Cobequid Dance Studio, often showing up around 3:30 p.m. and staying until about 9 p.m. She had to give up soccer because of the time dance required, but that was a sacrifice she didn’t mind making.
This is the second year she took part in Ballet Jörgen’s summer program, which dancers are only accepted to through auditions.
“They provide really good training, with a lot of teachers who are company members,” said Mari. “I’ve also made good friends.”
She’s been busy performing as part of the Cobequid Young Company and is an IB student. Keeping her body and mind healthy are important so she ensures she eats healthy foods, often passing up what she feels like eating for a more nutritious choice.
She plans to audition for further training and says she’d encourage any young people interested in dance to be persistent.
“Keep at it and don’t let yourself get dragged down. If you love dance it’s worth the effort.”
Although her family might not understand her love of dance they’re supportive and now watch some ballet with her. And the grandmother who set her on the path to dance gets to watch her perform on stage.