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View Winners → Young Dancer Is ‘Living the Dream’ in Monrovia
Arts Nov 24, 2015
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MHS’s Carrie Cuenca, a 13-year-old ballet dancer, dreams of dancing in New York. – Photo by Cam Sanders
Carrie Cuenca, 13, of Monrovia has been dancing since she was 2 years old. At age 5 she began studying at Pasadena Dance Theatre and in 2010 enrolled in their conservatory where she began her classical ballet training under the direction of Cynthia Young. That year was also her first time experiencing the magic of the Nutcracker on the big stage at the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse as a Polichinelle or French clown. Five years later and Carrie will be taking the stage once again next month to dance the coveted role of Clara in PDT’s annual Nutcracker Ballet– a dream come true for the 8th grader who attends High Point Academy in Pasadena.
Dancing at PDT every day after school has not only deepened Carrie’s love of ballet but has also given her the discipline and focus to maintain her straight A average while receiving excellent training in technique and the opportunity to learn from the some of the best instructor’s in the country. Because she spends so much time there, PDT has become like her second home and the lifelong friends she has made in class are like her sisters. When not in the dance studio, Carrie is busy applying to high schools for next fall and serving on the year book committee at HPA.
Looking ahead, Carrie is excited about graduation and her present – a trip to New York City in June where she hopes to have an opportunity to watch Misty Copeland dance in Swan Lake and take a tour of ABT where newly appointed principal and former Pasadena Dance Theatre alum Stella Abrera now dances. She also plans to visit Lincoln Center, the home of New York City Ballet and the hopes and dreams of her ballet future. But for now, you can watch Carrie dance on pointe as Clara in PDT’s Nutcracker at the San Gabriel Mission Playhouse on Dec. 19 & 22, or as a “Party Boy”, “Page” or “Jester” on Dec. 12, 13, 20, and 23. Call (626) 683-3459 or www.pasadenadance.org to purchase tickets.
