By Sophia Jaeger
The Bucs’ Blade
Grand Haven HS
1st Place Division 1, News Writing
Personality Profile
JUDGING CRITERIA
- Lead captures attention, arouses curiosity; reason for sketch is made clear early in story
- Emphasizes fresh angle; individualizes person
- Colorful, lively presentation; effective form/style
- Reflects adequate research, sound interviewing techniques from a variety of sources
- Avoids encyclopedic listing of subject’s accomplishments
- Effective use of quotes
- Interesting; appeals to the emotions
- Proper diction/grammar
Pale pink pointe shoes patter rhythmically across the floor as sophomore Alexandra Hodge bounds into the air hair cascading in waves behind her. Hodge pours herself into dance, spending countless hours in class and rehearsal perfecting her technique. “You have to focus your full mind full body on one thing,” said Hodge “You don’t really have time for anything else and it’s just it’s kind of like my freedom. I picture myself on the stage or in my favorite place or just out in the grass one summer day and then I just dance.” This focus has led Hodge to a promising future in dance, one that will take her to a summer workshop with the prestigious Boston Ballet. Hodge started dancing at the age of four, in part as a way for her parents to channel her energy. “She was all over the house jumping out off the furniture,” her mother, Dawn Hodge said “I didn’t want her to hurt herself. So I thought that dance would be a good thing” Since then Hodge has spent much of free time in dance studios.. Her first ballet class was at Nancy Baum’s studio in 2005. Hodge credits the experience for laying much of the foundation for what followed. “That’s where I learned to really love to dance,” Hodge said. “She loved to dance, she wasn’t into competition. She wasn’t pushing people, she let them find ballet.” Baum’s studio was a single room in the basement of her home with worn wooden floors. There Hodge danced until 2010 when the studio was closed after Baum passed away. “It really sparked my love,” Hodge said. “Ever since then, I can remember back to times when I was in that studio. I would see light on the floor, and I’d be like, I’m going to jump over that light we just turned it into some dance move.” After her first studio closed, Hodge began following her instructor Amanda Keift to other dance studios around the area until she was pushed to go to Grand Rapids so she could continue to develop as a dancer. “It’s very scary because the expectations were much higher,” Hodge said. “And I wasn’t at the top of my class, I really had to push myself and I had to find my independence myself. Because I wasn’t there to rely on my freinds” Hodge credits those expectations with making her a stronger ballerina. “It really helps me grow,” Hodge said “Ever since then, I’ve been more of an independent dancer. I don’t rely too much on other people to tell me what to do, or to push me.” Hodge takes both lessons at the Grand Rapids Ballet and is a member of their Junior Company. This allows her to be in the performances that the Junior Company tackles each year. Since joining the Junior Company, Hodge has found herself in many roles that continue to challenge her and push her further in her dancing. Attila Mosolygo, Director of the Grand Rapids Ballet Junior Company is quick to praise Alex’s work ethic, going so far as to call her “fantastic.” “I know that she’s very strong as an individual.” Mosolygo said. “She’s always able to carry certain roles that are soloists roles when she’s dancing by herself. But I wonder if her greatest strength is being able to lead a team and often times when we have group enters she would be the dancer, dancers would come to.” This doesn’t come without a major investment in time. On weekdays Hodge travels the hour to Grand Rapids to attend dance classes and rehearsal. Most nights she is not home until 9 p.m. . “It’s really hard,” Hodge said “A lot of people think like oh yeah, just stick your legs in the air and twirl around. It’s actually really hard you find muscles in your body that you did not think you had and they will hurt.” For Hodge, her time with the Grand Rapids Ballet is just a step to further herself as a dancer before she pursues a future in a larger company. “This really is my passion.” Hodge said. “So that just keeps me going and getting better roles. And I want to become famous someday. So that’s pushing me too. I just want to be the best.” This summer Hodge will take another step at fur- thering her chances for a future in dance at the Boston Ballet summer camp. There she will spend a month spending her days in classes honing her skill as a ballerina. “I’m so excited.” Hodge said. “The dancers there, they push you more, you dance more.” After completing the camp, Hodge will be able to audition for their professional program, which could become a gateway to a career in dance. Like many fields of the fine arts it is difficult to make a career out of ballet. “It is possible to train your entire life and never actually be able to become a professional dancer.” Mosolygo said “Just because there’s so many dancers out in the field and looking for jobs, And there’s only so many jobs available.” However daunting the chances may be, Hodge will forge on. For her, there is no other option. “It’s just a part of me,” said Hodge. “Like, God was just like, ‘she needs to do this.’ It’s just something that’s going to happen. And I feel like if it was taken away from me, I don’t think I could function like even sitting here, I’m moving around. I’m trying because I need to do something. And dance is just my outlet. I need to dance.”