On Pointe: Freshman pursues her passion for ballet

Then-three-year-old Tessa McNeil skipped around her dance studio in a Disney Princess dress with 12 other giddy preschool girls. It was Friday, which meant a break for the dancers from the typical routine of endless extension and technical work — a time to visit the world of magic wands and wishes on stars.

Now a freshman, 12 years of constant dedication seems bound to pay off as McNeil prepares to audition for Kansas City Ballet’s prestigious daytime school.

McNeil’s mother, Annie, enrolled her in her first ballet class at Dancerz Unlimited when she was just three years old, hoping to instill good manners and healthy posture from a young age. Building the base of a successful future for Tessa was always on Annie’s mind.

“My family is really tall and it’s common for a lot of tall people to have bad posture,” McNeil said. “So [my mom] put me in ballet not thinking I would stick with it, but I ended up sticking with it. And loving it.”

McNeil tried jazz, modern and even flamenco — Spanish folk dancing — but found a passion in ballet.

“The way that we create shapes, art and lines with movement…I just really find that fascinating,” McNeil said.

After three years spent learning the basics at Dancerz Unlimited, McNeil decided she was ready to move onto a studio that specialized in ballet — one that offered a faster pace and more advanced lessons.

In 2013, McNeil enrolled in Kansas City Ballet (KCB), where she has spent the past six years perfecting her dance skills. Since then, she has performed in The Nutcracker every winter, performing as a toy soldier, Russian Nesting doll and her favorite — a reindeer.

“Our choreographer and artistic director of the Kansas City Ballet has… kind of made a role for each age and level,” Mcneil explains. “Each kid has a chance to experience it and be a part of it.”

McNeil is now preparing to fully commit to dance by enrolling in KCB’s Daytime Schooling program, where she will have the opportunity to spend her days fully immersed in the art of ballet.

“Throughout my life, I’ve had a lot of hobbies and things that I’ve really enjoyed, but I found that I feel best when I’m dancing,” McNeil said. “No one is perfect, but if I’m really wanting to push myself to [be] as great of a dancer I can be, then taking this step and going to day school is definitely a really great option.”

This summer, McNeil will be attending Oklahoma City Ballet’s four-week intensive program. Similar to KCB’s day school, McNeil will participate in classes Monday through Friday from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m.

The ballet-based program will offer everything from conditioning and pilates classes to lectures about nutrition and dance history.

While McNeil is ecstatic for the upcoming opportunities to expand her dance repertoire, she hasn’t always felt on top. In the dance world, motivation comes and goes, but according to McNeil, learning to control it is part of the process.

“There’s definitely been times where I was kind of more of the underdog,” McNeil said. “But I have so many ideas and so many images in my mind of this dancer who I want to be and I’m really not afraid to work for that because of who I am inspired by.”

The hours of technique work, intensive summer camps and constant practice are all part of McNeil’s ultimate goal: The Royal Ballet in England — the exquisite ballet company with some of the best dancers in the world, according to McNeil.

The decision to audition for KCB does come with the cost of leaving East. After months of conversation and debates with her parents, the McNeils ultimately realized KCB’s day program was the right choice.

“I really did have a debate in my mind of staying at school,” McNeil said. “There’s so many great things at [East], but it really was not meant for me, and I know that dancing is what I want to do.”

McNeil’s parents will still strongly push the importance of academics. She is already enrolled in online school and is determined to get her school high school diploma, no matter where she spends her days.

“I can be the luckiest person in the world but the hard work that I do is going to get me to where I want to be,” McNeil said. “Keeping that in mind makes me want to work harder and harder everyday to just push myself as hard as I can”