6 minute read
Nearing Perfection
In their own words ... as New Hampshire ballet dancer Ashley Kaichen debuts on the world stage
BY EMILY REILY / PHOTOGRAPHY BY LK STUDIO
After years of practice, Ashley Kaichen, 16, a pre-professional ballet dancer with the Russian Ballet Academy in Newmarket, is one step closer to following her dreams.
In February, during the European Ballet Grand Prix in Vienna, the New Hampshire native performed three solo programs, including classical ballet variations from “La Bayadere” and “Flames of Paris.” After spending less than 10 minutes on stage, Ashley, a student at Coe-Brown Northwood Academy, walked away with more than applause and a feeling of great accomplishment. She landed in seventh place in the classical category and 12th in contemporary, and was awarded a twoweek internship to the Margot Fonteyn Academy of Ballet and the Fine Arts in Arizona.
Ashley explained what it takes to be a pre-professional ballet dancer, her longterm goals, and what it’s like to be a highschool student by day and an aspiring principal dancer at night.
New Hampshire Magazine: Congrats on your performances! You must be so excited.
Ashley Kaichen: I was on a cloud. I was like, “That’s what I had worked for all year, was to be recognized in Europe with people who are from all over the world.” And also, while I was there, I was awarded an internship. I was grateful to be recognized and given that honor and opportunity.
NHM: When did you decide to be a ballet dancer?
AK: When I was, I think, about 6 years old. I saw the movie “First Position,” about a ballet competition (the Youth America Grand Prix). I saw one girl; she was doing a variation that had a lot of turns in it. And I thought, “I want to be able to spin like that.”
NHM: What did you perform?
AK: So, I performed three solos. My first one was from “Flames of Paris.” And then my second one was the “First Shade” variation from “La Bayadere.” And then my last one was a contemporary solo that I performed en pointe.
NHM: What does ‘en pointe’ mean?
AK: I use pointe shoes instead of soft ballet slippers. Contemporary competitions are usually done in those softer shoes rather than pointe shoes.
NHM: How difficult is it to stand in those shoes?
AK: It takes a lot of training and a lot of practice, but it gets easier as you get more advanced. It takes years to develop the muscles that you need to dance en pointe.
NHM: What part did you play in “La Bayadere”?
AK: I was a shade, which is similar to a ghost or a spiritual thing.
NHM: What is “Flames of Paris” about?
AK: It’s about the French Revolution. My character was the woman who started it. And it takes place after they’ve won, so it’s very triumphant and victorious.
NHM: Do you wear your hair all up in a bun?
AK: Yes, a very tight bun — lots of gel and hairspray. I think I use about half a tube of gel, and an entire can of hairspray. If you have any whispies or flyaways on stage, it really shows because of the lights.
NHM: What’s your strength as a dancer?
AK: I’m pretty much a turner. I love turning. It’s like spinning.
NHM: What do you love about turning?
AK: Sometimes you just go up for like, two pirouettes … this actually happened at the competition. I was supposed to do two pirouettes. I was on my center, and I felt strong, and I ended up going around four times. It’s a really fun feeling when you’re just like, “Oh, I’m going around again. I have this.” I’m like, “I’m strong enough for this.” It’s like a little surprise.
NHM: What were some highlights of your routines?
AK: For “Flames of Paris,” for me, it was being able to play the character. That’s one of my favorite parts of dance, being able to play the character, and really feeling who my character was and how to portray that on stage. I thought that was really fun to explore.
NHM: Who is a ballet dancer you admire?
AK: My favorite ballet dancer of all time is Marianela Núñez. She’s Argentinian, and she’s a principal dancer at the Royal Ballet in England.
NHM: Is there a need to be perfect in ballet?
AK: Well, you’re never really perfect. That’s the wonderful thing about ballet. Because you can always do better. It’s always some- thing that you’re trying to reach. You’re trying to reach perfection, but your feet will never be pointed enough.
NHM: Does that get frustrating?
AK: Not really, because it’s just something to keep working on. It’s not something that you’re expected to perfect; it’s something that you’re expected to work for. The joy is the process of getting closer and closer, but never actually reaching it.
NHM: How much do you practice each day?
AK: It’s different for me every day. I’m in my studio 30 hours a week. And I’m dancing 20 hours of those because I also help with teaching. I try to do homework in little bits and pieces every now and then — a lot of late nights trying to do homework after I get home from dance.
NHM: What is your daily schedule like?
AK: I have school in the morning, and then I usually get home around 3 p.m. Some days I have to leave literally as soon as I get home — I just grab my grab my dance bag and leave, because I have to teach at 3:30 p.m. Sometimes I am at the studio until 9, pretty much every night except for Thursday. And then I usually get home at like 9:30 p.m. And I’m up ’til 12 or 1 a.m. doing homework.
NHM: Who do you teach?
AK: I teach a few groups, and I also teach private lessons in different ages. My youngest class, they’re 2 to 4 years old. My youngest student is 2, and my oldest is 14.
NHM: What can you teach them when they’re just 2?
AK: It’s mostly getting them used to being in a ballet studio — it’s motor development. So, we teach them like, “Now we touch our toes. And this is how you turn your feet to the side.” And also listening, and being able to follow directions and make your body do what your teacher is asking, because that can be hard.
NHM: What are your future goals?
AK: I would like to hopefully one day be a principal dancer, which is the highest level at a company. It takes many, many years, but that’s the ultimate goal. Some of my top companies would be the Royal Ballet in England or the Dutch National Ballet in the Netherlands.
