Elana Dolan may have just celebrated her 11th birthday, but she dances far beyond her years. While many eleven year olds are just getting their feet wet with beginner ballet classes, Elana is holding her own in Sovereign’s advanced level classes. When asked what her favorite thing about dancing is, Elana responded “It’s hard; it challenges you; you have to work for what you get – whether it’s pushups or pirouettes.” This diligent 11 year old says what inspires her to dance is, “I used to compare myself to others, and now I find I compete with myself.”
This coming March, Elana will be traveling to Boston with her mom and teacher to perform the “Act III Variation from Coppelia” at The Youth American Grand Prix, one of the most prestigious international ballet competitions. “Elana is quite the remarkable dancer. She possesses a level of perseverance that enables her to not let go of a step or correction until she’s perfected it,” states Christina Maria, director of Sovereign Ballet and Elana’s teacher.
Elana has been dancing at Sovereign Ballet since last year. She says what she likes the most about dancing at Sovereign is, “Miss Christina and everyone here is like my family, I have learned so much from her and the other dancers this past year.”
Elana was also cast as The Lead Sparrow in The Quiltmaker’s Gift, a Sovereign Ballet original work on stage last December. She will also be dancing as a Nymph, a Spirit and an Amazon in KORE an original work by Hannah Borczon, debuting in March.
Sovereign Showcase
More interesting facts:
1. Name: Elana Mae Dolan
2. Age: 11 years old
3. Years dancing: 8
4. Will you dance after high school: Yes
5. Favorite dance style: Ballet
6. Dream role: This is a hard one… Sugarplum, but I really like Midsummer’s Night Dream and Tatiana as well.
7. Dream dance company: ABT
8. Dance icon: Misty Copeland
9. One thing in your dance bag you can’t live without: My Canvas ballet shoes
10. Choreograph a dance about Miss Christina: Your Love is a Song, by Switchfoot
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