Aspiring professional ballerina spends junior year training in Houston

After dancing on pointe for four hours, then-junior Sophie Cichanowicz just wanted to relax in her apartment, 10 minutes away from the studio. But as a highschooler and member of the Houston Ballet Academy, Cichanowicz knew she still had a long list of schoolwork, and not to mention housework, to do.

“It was difficult to come home after a long day at ballet and spend the rest of my spare time on academics when I still had to clean, cook and take care of myself,” Cichanowicz said.

Only 16 at the time, Cichanowicz was living in Texas with two roommates, 2,000 miles away from home, friends and family.

Yet this was the price she had to pay to be a part of Houston Ballet Academy’s year-round professional division, which had been Cichanowicz’s dream from a young age.

While her parents were initially nervous about letting her live on her own, the idea wasn’t completely anathema to them and eventually let Cichanowicz pursue this dream.

Every summer since eighth grade, Cichanowicz had danced in professional ballet company programs, and going into her sophomore year, Cichanowicz had attended Houston Ballet Academy’s 6-week program.

The opportunity to audition for their year-round professional program arose and Cichanowicz was accepted into the highest level of the academy’s year-round professional division.

“It was an incredible opportunity that I couldn’t pass up, as so many people audition and very few are accepted,” Cichanowicz said. “I knew it would really help my training if I wanted to become a professional ballerina, so I took a chance and went for it!”

While her family had to pay tuition for the school, Cichanowicz was paid for her performances, which was “very exciting” as it was the first time she received pay for dancing.

Although dancing with a professional ballet company was a dream come true, Cichanowicz admits that the transition to living alone halfway across the country from home was a hard choice.

In addition, online schooling proved much different from taking classes at Saratoga High. But still hoping to graduate the following year, Cichanowicz kept up with her studies using APEX Learning, an online high school learning program.

“If I had a question I would email my professors and they could usually help me pretty well,” Cichanowicz said. “It was hard though, because emailing back and forth took a while and really slowed down the process.”

Cichanowicz said she also had the option to Skype with them and discuss any questions she had, but with her busy schedule and a two hour time difference (APEX is based in Seattle), it was difficult to coordinate.

“I had to be really good at being self-reliant and solving issues by myself,” Cichanowicz said.

After a year of dancing all day — six to seven days a week — and in addition to having to complete online classes in the evenings, Cichanowicz said she was “exhausted and missed [her] friends and family.”

Deciding to move back to Saratoga for senior year, Cichanowicz is now applying for colleges while dancing at her home ballet studio, Los Gatos Ballet.

“This way I could have a much better balance between school and ballet,” Cichanowicz said, “as well as the support of my friends and family.”

Though she no longer dances with the Houston Ballet Academy’s professional division, Cichanowicz hasn’t given up her dream of pursuing ballet professionally.

She hopes to be accepted to colleges where she can either major or minor in ballet, such as Juilliard or University of Oklahoma.

In addition to applying to colleges, Cichanowicz has auditioned for many other professional companies, such as Pacific Northwest Ballet, Tulsa Ballet, BalletMet Dance Academy and Cincinnati Ballet, hoping to be hired as either a trainee or member of the second company.

“I'm still not sure exactly what path I want to take, so I’m trying to keep all of my options open while making the decision,” Cichanowicz said.

Even if she is hired for one of the professional ballet companies she is auditioning for, Cichanowicz said she’ll never forget her first professional experience in Houston.

“I had an amazing year,” Cichanowicz said. “And I’m extremely grateful to have been given the opportunity to experience a different path than most others.”