Today we’d like to introduce you to Lillian Sears.
Hi Lillian, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started ballet when I was two at the Tolbert Yilmaz School of Dance. After my first class, I asked my mom when I could be a professional dancer. The first time I had to get on stage everyone was worried I wouldn’t want to be up there because I hadn’t said a word all year in ballet class. Our teacher had said we weren’t allowed to talk in class, and I took her words very seriously. Well, I loved being on stage, and my teacher had to get me off stage! As the years went on, I added more classes and became focused on my ballet training.
When I was seven years old, Miss Kristi Necessary recommended I change ballet schools so I could work with a teacher named Mr. Wei Dongsheng. He owns Atlanta Professional Dance Academy in Johns Creek. So in May 2019, I went to audition at his school, and I am still a student there now. I train between 15-18 hours per week in classical ballet, character dance, and pointe. In my time there, I have improved a lot. In early February 2022, I received 2nd place in classical and 4th place in contemporary at ADC | IBC. The last weekend in February 2022, I won first place in both classical and contemporary as well as the Rising Star Award at Universal Ballet Competition.
In summer 2021, I was selected to attend a summer intensive at Cary Ballet Conservatory, and I am returning in summer 2022 for six weeks where I will live in the dorms and dance full time (approximately 30 hours per week). The goal is to improve my technique and artistry so that I come back a better dancer.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Not really. I think in ballet, it is always a challenge for everyone because some people will struggle to be supportive or see a dancer’s hard work. Because ballet is so competitive, it can also be hard when dancers don’t support each other. In the past, I have definitely encountered dancers who tear others down or make mean comments. While criticism and corrections are really important in ballet, it is also important for teachers to think about what they are saying. I once had a teacher tell me I would never be a good turner, and that was very hard to hear so young. It took me a long time to get over that statement in my head. Thankfully I am at a ballet school where the environment is super encouraging and supportive, and we all want to see each other succeed.
Ballet is very hard on the body and the mind, so it’s important to keep both healthy. I broke my toe in 2020 outside of ballet, and it was a challenge to take a few weeks off when I wanted to be dancing like normal.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I am training in classical ballet. As of now, I am most proud of my hard work. From a young age, I knew ballet was all I wanted to do, and I began focusing on it very young. I am very driven to do well at ballet, and that has set me apart. Even outside of the studio, I am frequently working on things that will make me a better dancer – working out, pilates, gyrotonics, yoga, etc. Ballet is very hard, but I love the challenge to do it well and work towards the goal of perfection, which is not possible, but it is fun to try.
The crisis has affected us all in different ways. How has it affected you and any important lessons or epiphanies you can share with us?
When I couldn’t go to the studio for months on end, I learned how much I really needed to do ballet. My parents converted our family room into a temporary ballet space complete with marley floors and a barre, and I danced every single day of the week. Even though it wasn’t ideal, I found myself working to get better, taking my school’s online ballet classes as well as many other schools’ classes. Some weeks I would dance 30 hours in my family room.
Contact Info:
- Email: lillianmsears@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lillianmsears/
Image Credits:
Two studio photos – Richard Calmes
