Muni’s article is among a series of Q&A profiles that were completed in Ms. MacMillan’s journalism class.
Ella McNeely is a 17-year-old attending Fishers High School. She shares her love and passion for dance. From the day she was old enough to talk, she found herself twirling and moving to the beats of music. For Ella, dancing is a powerful form of self-expression, but she faces the pressure of perfecting every move and maintaining a perfect composure. Despite all these challenges, she discusses how she will remain determined to keep on pursuing.
Muni: When did you start dancing?
Ella: I started dancing at age 10. Technically I did little kid classes, when I was 3 to 7 years old, but then there was just a long period of time when I didn’t dance until age 10.
Muni: How did it feel the first time you were going on stage compared to when you’re going on stage now?
Ella: The first time I went on stage, I wasn’t really nervous. I was kind of just following what the teachers were saying when we did our rehearsal on stage. And when I was on stage performing, I didn’t really register what I was doing. I was just following the motions I was told to do. But now that I’m older and there’s just so much more pressure, I get really nervous on stage.
Muni: What is the most exciting thing that happens when you start dancing?
Ella: Oh, just like any time dancing. The most exciting things are just feeling that freedom of movement as you’re dancing. There are just some really fun steps that you can always look forward to in a ballet class. It’s just a nice feeling of exhilaration on stage or in class.
Muni: Does dance help you decrease/increase stress?
Ella: Dance kind of increases my stress. I feel like a lot of people might say that it’s an escape from the stresses of real life, but for me, it kind of just adds to all the stress in my life. But it’s worth it because I love to dance.
Muni: Who inspired you to dance?
Ella: Oh, that’s a good question. Probably one of my biggest inspirations was my teacher from when I started, Miss Colleen. She showed a lot of interest in me. She saw that I had potential, and she pushed me to just be a better dancer, and she made me really fall in love with the art form and see the potential in myself as well.
Muni: So, what is it about dance you like?
Ella: I’m attracted to ballet for the strict rules that you have to follow and all the strict standards of technique. But also there’s just the freedom of movement and it’s just so fun to be able to be a human just like dancing around for other people to see her. I kind of like the balance between strict structured move and structured lessons, but then also the freedom of dancing and moving.
Muni: So, what is your favorite type of dance?
Ella: I love a lot of types of dances, but my favorite is still probably ballet because I just love the art of it and the history, and all the important cultural aspects of ballet and it is kind of a foundation of a lot of other dance styles and it’s always attracted me.
