Dedicated. That’s the best word to describe senior Sadie Schaefermeyer, who has been doing dance since the age of 4. Schaefermeyer is very well-rounded when it comes to dance; she has done ballet, tap, jazz, contemporary, modern, lyrical, hip-hop, character and ballroom. But out of all of them, ballet has remained her favorite.
After years of dancing, Schaefermeyer auditioned and is now this year’s Dance Sterling Scholar.
“My thinking was ‘I might as well [audition]’,” Schaefermeyer said. “I’ve poured so much of my life into dance that I might as well have something official to show for it.”
Although she has danced for almost her entire life, it still takes a lot of work. She is consistently at the studio and practices at her house whenever she needs it.
“I think I’m at the studio at least 7 hours a week,” Schaefermeyer said. “And then stuff at home when I need it.”
But despite all the work that it takes, she is able to stay motivated and find ways to grow as a dancer.
“I try to remember why I started dancing; it definitely keeps me motivated and keeps me wanting to go back,” Schaefermeyer said. “Trying to just go back to why I started dancing helps me enjoy it a lot more.”
Ever since she has started dancing, it has impacted her life in so many ways.
“It’s taught me how to work hard and how to decide what really matters to me,” Schaefermeyer said. “I’ve had to choose dance over so many other things but it’s because I love it and I love it enough to be okay choosing it over the other things. Dance is just my life.”
Schaefermeyer said although dance is a lot of work, if you’re interested in it you should go for it.
“It’s not easy,” Schaefermeyer said. “You’d think it will be because it’s like ‘Oh, you’re a dancer? So what?’, but it’s a lot harder than I think a lot of people realize. And keep at it, if it’s not your thing that’s okay but if you really love it then don’t give up on it because it’s so worth it.”
