Ever since I was a little girl dancing has been my passion. I always saw pictures of real ballerinas and I wanted to be just like them. Always wanting to be the center of attention when I was younger, it didn't surprise my parents that I didn't hold anything back on stage. My dad always reminds me of that whenever 'Dancing Queen' comes on. It was one of the first dances I performed on stage. He says "I remember you being in that orange costume and being one of the only girls shaking your little body on stage." I've been dancing at The Ballet Studio since the young age of four. Which gives me the pleasure of saying I grew up at that studio. I have met such wonderful people because of the studio and those girls on my competition dance team are my best friends in and out of the studio. I am so grateful for every single one of the teachers who has taught me. Each and every one of them comes with a kind approach, and they're always lending you a helping hand to help you understand a dance move. The teachers at the studio really care about the students not just about them in the dance, but how they are doing outside of the studio. That means so much to us especially because being a child in this day of age can be so hard. The last couple of years I've had seizures and had gone through a lot of bullying and discrimination in school. Although, at the studio I was always treated with kindness, they accepted me and they were my support throughout everything, and I am forever grateful for everyone. Dance has always been my outlet and helps me relieve stress. Jazz used to be my favorite because I loved to be sassy and shake my butt, although now contemporary is one of my favorites because Ms. Alyssa always finds a way to pull so much out of you as a dancer. I can't believe I'm a senior, I'm going to miss everyone so much. I will never forget all the laughs, dances, sweat, tears, hard work, memories, and kind words everyone has offered. Last but not least I will never forget Ms. Lisa and all the support she has offered all of us as dancers. She would end every class by telling us that every single one of us was beautiful. No matter our differences in and never to forget to be kind to others. That little bit of encouragement went so far for me. To my fellow TBS dancers shoot for the stars and never give up on your dreams because you are all so amazing. I love you all forever and am so proud of you, stay beautiful!

I've been dancing at The Ballet studio since I was five years old. As I grew, so did my love and passion for dance. I joined the competition team when i was nine years old and my first production was The Polar Express. Once I gained the courage, I decide to tackle my first solo at ten years old and I've been performing solos ever since. It was fun attending Nationals at Virginia Beach, Cape May, and just recently, this past summer, atlantic City. One of my favorite memories was dancing in the pregame show at a Trenton Thunder baseball game. The Ballet Studio has provided me with amazing opportunities, friends and teachers that have made the past thirteen years enjoyable, and I am thankful for that. After I graduate from Bordentown regional High School this June, I plan on attending college to major in nursing, and to obtain a degree in dance. I want to thank every single teacher that has helped me along my journey as a dancer;I will truly miss all of you. Although I am sad this is my last year at The Ballet Studio, I am so excited to make even more memories.

I have been dancing at The Ballet Studio for nine years. Not only am I a dancer, but I have been a three season runner for 6 years. Dance has always been that place that I can go to after a rough day at practice. I could always count on my teachers to stretch out my tense muscles and for that I have been thankful. I have grown as a dancer and I want to thank all of my teachers for pushing me to do all sorts of dance moves that I could never see myself doing. I would also like to thank my parents for allowing me to dance and driving me back and forth constantly. Furthermore, I would like to thank Kaneisha, my sister, for laughing with me during class and helping me remember our dances. Lastly, I would like to thank Edson for being patient when mom or dad had to take me to dance and being my personal videographer. I will be graduating from Northern Burlington County Regional High School this June. After graduating, I will be attending Northeastern University to major in international affairs and taking part in their Honors program. Because of The Ballet Studio I have met so many incredible girls and I will miss them all. I will miss the excited feeling I get when Ms. Amanda shows us a crazy dance move, Ms. Victoria making me laugh, and getting motivational speeches from Ms. Lisa. I will miss the quick changes and the feeling of being on stage but I am proud to say that I grew up in this studio. Every little girl goes through the phase where they want to be a ballerina and I want to thank everyone for helping turn this wanna be ballerina into a somewhat graceful dancer.

I have been dancing at The Ballet studio since I was two years old. I remember being the craziest little kid in the class, which made a lot of memories that Miss Victoria never fails to remind me of. I found out about the competition team when I was ten years old and just had to join. My first production was Cats, which made it to nationals at Virginia Beach. This was one of my favorite Ballet Studio memories. The Ballet Studio has provided me with fantastic memories, friends and teachers that have made my experience growing up at the ballet studio unforgettable. I will be graduating from Robbinsville High School this June. After graduation, my ship date to Paris Island is August 21, 2017. I hope to return as a US Marine. Hopefully I get a degree during my time in the Marine Corps. I want to thank every teacher and dancer that has helped me improve as a dancer and as a person. I will miss all of you dearly. Although I am sad this is my last year dancing at the Ballet Studio, I am excited to see what the future holds.

Dancing has always been a huge part of my life, especially my early childhood. I started dancing at Mary Ann's Dance Academy by the age of three. I stayed at the studio until the end of 2007, which led me to the Ballet Studio soon after. Another important memory of dance for me was performing in tap numbers for the Life Center Academy's annual Christmas show from kindergarten to the fourth grade. First arriving to the Ballet Studio, I was nervous to make new friends & I feared I wasn't as good as the others. Towards the end of my first year I became more comfortable in the studio, made friends & learned new abilities to help me improve my dancing skills. I still remember my first recital at TBS, when I danced in "Double Dutch Bus" & "A Whole New World". I have also been in the TBS competition group the same year I joined, which was a very new experience for me. "The Polar Express" and "Cats" are my two most memorable productions. I have had my ups & downs at the studio, good & bad, but I've always kept going & strived to do better in myself as well as my team. I am so happy that I have the opportunity to be apart of such a wonderful team with such amazing dancers. By the end of June I will be a graduate of Florence township memorial high school. I plan to attend Rowan community college for two years, then transfer to either Rutgers or Rider University after. My future career is to become a nutritionist for children as well as having a minor degree is Behavioral Science. I personally would like to thank all my dance teachers for always helping me and believing in me all these years. I would also like to thank my friends & family who supported me so much, they are the reason why I am still dancing today. I am very excited for my final year & I plan to make it a good one. Never stop doing what you believe in and always keep your head up.

Dance is not only my hobby, its my passion. I have been dancing ever since I was four years old and fell in love with it. The first dance studio I went to was Mary Ann's Dance Academy. I stayed there until 2007 which is when I found The Ballet Studio. I remember my very first dance on the competition team, "In the Navy". It was something I have never done before. I also had the opportunity to experience nationals in Virginia with our first place winning dance "Cats" and another nationals in Atlantic City with our production "The Wizard of Oz" and "Crazy In Love". It was one of the best experiences I have ever had. I also had the opportunity to meet amazing people I now can call some of my bestfriends. Growing up I was a very shy person and these friends that I have made helped me to overcome that shyness. I plan on going to college to get a degree in dance and also plan on majoring in something else but at the moment I am undecided. In conclusion, I would like to thank all the wonderful teachers I have had throughout my years of dancing at The Ballet Studio.