Meet Daniella
“I dance because there is nothing more powerful than creating. Dance is an expression of art that allows anyone to feel all types of emotion through the movement of the body. It is so incredibly amazing to be able take a canvas of movement and create artistry.”
I dance because there is nothing more powerful than creating. Dance is an expression of art that allows anyone to feel all types of emotion through the movement of the body. It is so incredibly amazing to be able take a canvas of movement and create artistry. Dance has always been an important part of my life, for about 11 years it completely and utterly consumed me, but this past year has been a bit different. I went to college and I was immersed in a whole world of people who all saw the world in different ways and all had different paths they were ready to follow. This environment shocked me, I realized there is a life outside of the studio. I got lost in it. I met new and intriguing people and I tried new classes and followed different pathways of academia. But nothing ever felt genuine, this past year was eye opening in the same way that it was hollow. For a while, I forgot what made me happy and I forgot what made me, me. Dance makes me who I am. Without dance, there was nothing to push me to my limits and things in my life felt half hearted and mediocre. This was an experience that was absolutely necessary for me to realize what is important to me. It made me realize I only want to put my time and energy in what I am insanely passionate about.
I grew up in front of a mirror, in a studio, always looking for something that pushes me outside of my comfort zone while being wholeheartedly happy. Without dance there was an energy that I did not have an outlet for and I never found a release. Everyone is looking for a release; a release of emotions, responsibilities, negativity, worry. Creating is my release. Dance opens my heart, it allows me to let people into my soul without ever having to say a word. Dance is so incredibly magical because it is all about passion.
A part of my life that I will forever be thankful for is Stavna Ballet. Everything I was involved in at Stavna from going to class everyday to teaching to volunteering in the community to being in ballet productions were created around a love for dance. Being able to spend almost all of my time at an amazing studio with creative and inspiring individuals was a priceless experience. No matter what was going on in my life I was happy because I was getting to do what I loved every single day. There is no way I would be where I am today without dance. So many people I care about, places I’ve been to, and things I’ve done are opportunities from dance.
The Virginia Museum of Fine Arts is special to me because it is a place where everything exists. All different times periods in history and people’s point of view of their life and the world around them are preserved in this one place. I love that everyone can look at the same work with their own perspective and all turn away with a unique feeling. I have some great memories of just sitting and talking with friends in the garden or wandering through with big eyes on a rainy day. The art reminds me of the balance between having my own point of view and being open to the rest of the world's perspective.
Everywhere in Richmond there is life and art and people completely living for themselves and no one else, this is life I want.
