Lily Ferro

DESPITE taking away awards and trophies, Lily Ferro really does not like to compete.

The 18yearold dancer and musician has been honing her craft for as long as she can remember.

She regards her fellow dancers as like her ‘‘second family’’, and she finds dancing alongside them far more enjoyable than going head to head for the top spot.

She trains at ballet five times a week, but always opts for exams rather than competitions.

She cannot remember ever not being a dancer and she grew up alongside those in her dance grade.

She had tried sports and athletics, but found nothing had the same kind of support and satisfaction as her dance group.

‘‘I’ve been with them all for so long. I wouldn’t enjoy it if it was competitive.’’

It would be very bittersweet to be splitting up with them as they all moved on with their lives in the next few years, but she plans to remain involved in the dance community for as long as she can.

What she loved was the physicality of ballet and how it could be used to express herself.

She appreciated the the discipline it required, as it took plenty of strength training and stretches to maintain correct form.

Aside from ballet, she also delved into the world of jazz.

Where ballet was about perfection, jazz was more free and chaotic, which scratched a very different itch for her.

She also played flute with the school orchestra, the Dunedin Youth Orchestra once a week and sung in the school choir.

Each group worked on projects which ran for a very long time and allowed her to meet lots of people.

At school she fulfilled the roll of deputy head prefect.

She found the discipline of her dance and music helped her in both her studies and responsibilities.

Being deputy head prefect involved much more planning and administration than she had first expected, but it was nice to have a say at the school after 10 years of being a pupil.