“I’ve been doing ballet since I was three,” junior Megan Sherman said — a time before she could even write. There are a few varieties of ballet: “Russian training and Balanchine training. I kind of do a mix of both. Balanchine is more modern and the russian style I do, is called Vaganova, and it’s more strict. It’s more about technique. I enjoy Balanchine style more, just because it’s more free-flowing and sometimes the Russian training can be a bit strict and too technical, so you can’t get in touch with your inner emotion,” Sherman said. 

She believes “[ballet is] the foundation for [other types of dance]. If you don’t know ballet, you’re going to have a hard time doing jazz, contemporary, or any other style.”

Sherman loves dancing, but hasn’t decided if she wants to pursue a professional career in it. “The dance world is really tough and it’s really unpredictable. I’ve been thinking of having a career in dance. I know it’s just hard to make a living as a dancer, but I’ll never stop [dancing],” Sherman said.

Sherman has danced for as long as she can remember. “It’s just become a part of me. My whole world kind of revolves around dance. I do it because it makes me feel really good inside, like nothing’s holding me back. When I watch professional dancers and I see how good they are, and how they dance, they just seem so happy when they do it and it motivates me. I want to be like them in a few years. It sets goals for me,” she said.

With ballet, she has a hectic schedule. Sherman said, “I barely have any time for any other activities because I’m just so busy all the time. I’ve never had a chance to go to any of the football games or sports events because it’s always when I have dance.”

Throughout the years, she has committed much of her time and effort to dance. “It’s really worth it, but you can’t expect to be perfect and look great the first four years that you’re doing it. As a dancer, you can never be perfect. There’s always something. My sister is dancing with San Jose Ballet right now and still she has many things to work on. The teachers there are always giving her corrections and so that has [taught me] that I’ll never be perfect as a dancer. There’s always something, and that’s why I love it,” Sherman said.