Emma Schilling is one of only 15 dancers selected to study at the Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Moscow, this summer, through the NSLI-Y (The National Security Language Initiative for Youth) Program. The unique opportunity will be funded by the U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs. Through the program, the Cornwall High School freshman will study the Russian language, culture, and ballet.
“Wow,” was Schilling’s first reaction to the news. “I did not actually think I would get it this year. It’s my first year being eligible for the scholarship. I’m blown away. I’m beyond excited for this opportunity.”
Dancers can only apply for the program if they’re attending the Bolshoi Ballet Academy Summer Intensive, which Schilling auditioned to attend back in January. Last year, Schilling participated in the academy’s summer intensive in Connecticut. This year she’ll spend three weeks in New York City for intensive ballet training.
In order to be accepted into the summer intensive program, Schilling had to write two one-page essays. One was about a past experience that prepared the applicant for going away and living in a foreign country for six weeks in an immersion program. The other essay was about why the applicant wanted to attend and what they could share with others upon returning.
In response to the first essay, “I wrote about when I went on a trip to Italy with my mother, one of my close friends, and her grandmother. We went on a tour for two weeks. It was beautiful. I loved it there, but I was disappointed we didn’t have more of a chance to interact with the people of Italy and talk to them. Really it was more sight-seeing. I wanted to know more about the culture and the language.”
Schilling said she looks forward to learning Russian and being able to speak to her ballet teacher in his native language. She said generations of people don’t know much about other countries. What they do know is from the news, but they don’t take the time to research the culture and learn about nation as people instead of as a government or an idea.
Schilling will be busy this summer. On June 23 she begins her three weeks at the Bolshoi summer intensive. After three weeks she’ll attend the NSLI orientation and then leave for Russia on July 13. She’ll spend six weeks in Moscow, training with the Bolshoi Ballet Academy while studying Russian language, history, arts, and culture. She returns on Aug. 24, two weeks before school begins.
Schilling has been dancing ballet since kindergarten.
“I was the sort of kid who just knew ballet existed. As a 5-year-old I said I’m going to be a ballerina. I would dance in my room. I would drag my mom upstairs and make her watch me.”
Schilling began taking lessons, which her mom won in an auction, at Dance Design Studios. There Schilling began training under Natasha Bar, who eventually went on to establish her own studio, American Youth Dance Academy. The academy became American Youth Ballet, run by Albert Davydov.
What Schilling enjoys most about ballet is the fact the brain is supposed to go in five different directions at once.
“I’ve had trouble focusing before, but in ballet that’s a good thing because it’s such a mental challenge, and a physical one. Mentally, to think about your turnout, your arms, your head, the combination, and keeping your knees straight, all at the same time and having someone telling you corrections, there’s nothing else quite like it. It’s also an incredible sense of achievement when you get a new move or you can finally do a triple pirouette right. There’s nothing like being on stage and getting off stage and knowing you just did the absolute best you could and you just pushed yourself to your limits.”
For the last eight years, Schilling has participated in two performances each year – “The Nutcracker” in the winter, and then a full-length ballet at the end of the school year. Last year she danced in “Sleeping Beauty.” This year she’ll perform in “Coppelia” which is at 7 p.m. on Sunday at the Sugar Loaf Performing Arts Center.
In the future, Schilling said she’d like to dance for a professional company. Although college isn’t for all dancers, she said she’s likely to apply to Julliard or another intense dance school.
