HOUSTON — A Houston teen is preparing to compete in a prestigious ballet competition set to happen in the new year.
It’s equivalent to the Olympic games for the dance youth world. KHOU 11 followed her rigorous dance practice to see how she’s getting ready.
“Make sure you don’t travel too much, very much. Keep that going. Be careful with the shoulders open, open, little bit more,” said Tina Kay Bohnsteet, ballet master at Vitacca School for Dance.
For 20 hours a week, 15-year-old Aubrey Daniels works to perfect her classical and contemporary ballet technique at Vitacca School For Dance.
“Stretch it behind you, behind you, leg behind you,” said Bohnsteet.Aubrey trains all while taking AP high school courses and maintaining a nearly 4.0 GPA.
“The crazy thing is we must make everything look effortless, like we have to make it look like enjoyable. It’s not like other athletes where they can, like, show their pain,” said Aubrey.
All of Aubrey’s hard work, along with the help of her parents, her coach and school founder, has paid off.
“Aubrey came to us roughly four years ago. Now, we’ve been training with Aubrey, and this is an exciting moment for her, really, to shine,” said Kelly Ann Vitacca, founder and artistic director of Vitacca School for Dance.“Ever since I was a little kid, I’ve watched the Prix De Lausanne kind of how everyone watches the Olympics. Like, I’d watch it on the bus to school every morning,” said Aubrey.
And now with a full circle moment on the horizon, Aubrey is invited to compete at the same prestigious Prix De Lausanne in Lausanne, Switzerland in February 2025. Winners picked by the judges will be awarded scholarships to dance companies.
“There are only 17 young dancers from the United States going, and Aubrey is one of ten ladies to be selected,” said Kelly Ann Vitacca.
“I got some goosebumps feel and I was just half crying. Half, just happy for her because I know how hard she was working the process,” said Bohnsteet.Daniels is the first Houston native chosen to compete in Prix de Lausanne in nearly a decade.“It said, ‘Aubrey, congratulations, you’ve been selected for the competition,’ and I had to read it like twice to make sure because I didn’t believe it,” said Aubrey.
Aubrey said her coach gives her much-needed tough love to get better.
“The word can’t. I don’t care if you can’t. I don’t want to hear that word. It doesn’t exist,” said Bohnsteet.
Strong advice that will soon help her learn from world-renowned ballet experts, which Aubrey said feels surreal.
“When I found out I woke up the whole house. I kept checking my computer and I woke up the whole house at like 5 a.m. I was just super excited. It was such a dream come true,” said Aubrey.
Good luck Aubrey! Your impeccable ballet skills will represent Houston well.