Mikaela Kelly

The life of a ballerina parallels the artistry found within a musician. A ballerina becomes the vessel for the music that surrounds her. The combination of frenetic schedules, intense rehearsals, and dedicating endless hours to perfecting choreography allows for dancers to put their absolute all into their craft. Mikaela Kelly channels her free spirit and drive to improving techniques that catalyzes her to execute exemplary performances. Her fusion of grit and grace landed her a spot at the prestigious Juilliard School, a New York conservatory known for teaching the world’s best choreographers, dancers, actors, and musicians.

As young kids, we become entranced with the world of whimsical fairytales and many of us have given ballet a shot at the early ages of 5 or 6. Yet the arabesque and minor stretches we were taught at five years old are fickle in comparison to the work that Mikaela has to put in her fleeting movements. Regarding where her intrigue in ballet sparked from, Mikaela states “I know many people have that “Aha!” moment when they figure out what they want to do in life or what dream they want to pursue, but I don’t think I ever had one. I began dancing when I was four, I fell in love with movement over the years and have never stopped. Early on in my life I had the revelation that dance was not only something that I could do for fun, but that it was possible to pursue dance as a professional career. This revelation had occurred when I discovered that my mother had been a professional dancer and she passed along her love of movement to me.”

She continued, “As I began to perform and to take dance more seriously, I realized that the power to affect people and to communicate ideas through my body was something I loved.” To close the gap of constructed stereotypes of ballet dancers, Mikaela says, “There are plenty of stigmas and stereotypes that surround dance and ballet in particular, but I believe it is my responsibility as an artist to have integrity in my work and confidence in other people’s ability to see me as a unique individual and not as a set of stereotypes.”

From Mikaela’s formative years of ballet, she had an increasing aptitude for ballet, thus never really having the chance to delve into other dance styles. Yet with her introduction into the complexities of dance within Juilliard, she has grown to appreciate her fellow classmates’ talents and fluid dance movements. She says, “Growing up I was classically trained in ballet with very little exposure to the contemporary and modern dance world, so going to The Juilliard School where we explore so many different kinds of dance and movement styles was a bit of a shock for me mentally and physically. The Juilliard Dance Department accepts twelve men and twelve women each year who will all graduate with a BFA at the end of their four years at school. We all take dance classes and academic classes everyday along with our afternoon rehearsals for the current show(s) we are working on, so our schedules are packed during those four years and we received many tools and so much incredible information to carry with us into the professional world.”

The first couple years of college often teach us far more lessons than our contrived eighteen years of life, similarly Mikaela’s first years at Juilliard have taught her to explore a spectrum of opportunities that the conservatory provides. Mikaela tells us, “One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in my three years at this conservatory is to simply be open to everything. There is no way of knowing what the future holds or in what direction your life will guide you, so be open to the possibilities and opportunities that this world has to offer and be excited to explore the unknown. I actually have the opportunity to choreograph quite a lot at Juilliard and have recently become very interested in spending my time investigating my own movement vocabulary and choreographic voice. I find myself constantly inspired by the world around me and it finds its way into my creative process. Fascinated by the intimate details of movement and the subtleties of human emotion, I have been exploring these facets in a series of short films and pieces of choreography is the mindset from which I work.”

As for Mikaela’s ability to completely immerse herself in her given pieces, she states, “In general the kinds of pieces I dance have a storyline, central theme or intention behind them that the choreographer conveys to us and we have to investigate throughout the work. In some cases however, I am only given steps and movement phrases that require me to find my own meaning within them. I find it fascinating to attach my emotional and mental engagement onto specific textures and feelings that I discover while I rehearse a piece and create a throughline for myself that carries me from movement to movement within the dance.” With each role Mikaela has the opportunity to fill, she manages to find an emotional connection within each routine and bring a newfound originality to the precise coordination. Her attention to detail and commitment to her routines will eventually find her a route to captivate audiences as she performs for the dance company of her dreams.

Mikaela’s versatility is shown within who she found inspiration in to the music she finds herself listening to. “I am mainly inspired by choreographers or professional companies as a whole and not necessarily individual dancers or pieces. There are many inspiring choreographers including Aszure Barton, Crystal Pite, Ohad Naharin, Johannes Wieland, etc., and many companies including Nederlands Dans Theater, Batsheva, Ballet British Columbia, and so many more.”

As for music that is compiled on her current playlists, Mikaela finds that music has become an extension of herself, “Music is such a huge part of my life and because as a dancer and choreographer I use every genre and style for my work, what I prefer to listen to is very eclectic. I grew up with stuff like Genesis and Neil Young, I choreograph to artists like AGF and Jóhann Jóhannsson and I listen to stuff like Frank Ocean, London Grammar and Chon when I’m just relaxing.”

I believe it is my responsibility as an artist to have integrity in my work and confidence in other people’s ability to see me as a unique individual and not as a set of stereotypes.”

New York City has become a solace for individuals wanting to unravel their creative dreams. With all the traction that comes with living in the pinnacle of big cities, people often need spaces to find a temporary escape from the busy life. For Mikaela, her favorite places in New York come through the form of rooftops and indulging in baked goods. Mikaela says, “I love rooftops. I lived for a while in Williamsburg and I spent every evening on my roof with a good book and the most beautiful view of Manhattan. I love pretty much every combination of butter and sugar so on any given day you can find me at one of my favorite bakeries or pastry shops in the city shoving multiple cupcakes into my mouth.”

Mikaela’s devotion to the art of ballet and willingness not only to improve her own performances, but help others improve their own choreography displays her enchanting motivation and stellar generosity. Concerning what the title of her life would be if translated into a film Mikaela states, “If someone were to make a movie about me at this point in my life I think it would have to be left untitled because my world is constantly evolving and changing; my discoveries are unending and take me in every possible direction.”

I find myself constantly inspired by the world around me and it finds its way into my creative process."

Written by Jasmine Rodriguez | Photography by Katia Temkin