Tutu or not tutu?

An exceptionally talented teen faces a dancing dilemma.

Isabella Price, 16, a student at St Cuthbert’s College has been offered a place at the New Zealand School of Dance, but has chosen instead to continue with her school studies.

It’s a conundrum faced by many young students in their final school years.

Isabella’s mother Kate Price said that Isabella loves to dance and faced great conflict last year when it was expected she would apply for full-time ballet training at such a young age.

“Dancing is a very short career, and with the high risk of injury you must have an education to fall back on. This was her and our dilemma,” said Mrs Price.

Making a decision about going to a ballet academy or continuing with school was “super-hard” according to Ms Price as there are many sacrifices to be made by ballet dancers.

Although Ms Price has been largely injury free, three of her ballet peers have had ankle surgery, four have been in moon boots and one had to retire as her ankle was injured past the point of return to ballet.

The deputy principal of St Cuthbert’s College, Justine Mahon, said that it would benefit students if schools offered more support for non-mainstream extra-curricular activities like ballet, but there are generally not enough resources to do this.

Ms Price said although schools do try, balancing ballet and schoolwork is tough as you are constantly prioritising and making calculated compromises.

If a student was particularly talented in a field such as ballet and wanted to leave school early to join a specialised academy, Mrs Mahon said that the school would proceed positively in close conjunction with the student’s parents.

There would be an open discussion about injury and its consequences said Mrs Mahon and also about the limited life of a dancer’s career.

Mrs Mahon said that for talented students who choose to follow their dream there are ways to reconnect with education later or even in some cases to continue in education under different circumstances.

“We support students to follow their dreams but always encourage them to have a Plan B,” said Mrs Mahon.