Dance Student Spotlight: Nadia Threadgill

My name is Nadia Threadgill, 13, and I live in Longview, TX. I dance at The Dance Studio Longview.

@nadiaElisse_dancer

Can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.

I started dance at 4. My Mom put me in dance to give me an outlet for my energy and help me learn to focus. I loved it! I discovered a deep love and passion for the art of dance. I’ve been soaking up every opportunity to dance and to improve my technique. I’m now in our pre-pro program at my local studio, and I train in Dallas every other Saturday. I’ve had the opportunity to attend a couple of summer dance intensives, including Ballet Austin’s Senior Intensive when I was 11, and the ABT Senior Summer Intensive (remotely) last summer. I also do Pilates, act, model, and volunteer in the community.

We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?

Things haven’t always been easy. Physically, dance takes a lot of work, but I love it. I found progress was difficult during quarantine and shutdowns. I think that pushing through that challenging time made me stronger than ever.

What personal limitations if any did you go through in your young career?

Although dance comes very naturally to me, I wasn’t born with naturally super archy feet. I have worked very hard to improve my feet and arches, and I’m excited about my progress.

Has anybody ever tried to limit you on what you could do? If so how did you fight it?

No one has really tried to limit me on what I can do. The people in my life have been very supportive. I’ve found circumstances can be limiting at times. Dance training can get expensive. So, in order to do the “extras”, I raise money by babysitting, doing custom vinyl projects, and doing odd jobs.

How do you conquer negative talk?

I usually ignore negative comments from others. I try to be friendly with everyone I meet, no matter the circumstances. I’m probably the hardest on myself, so I try to focus on progress rather than perfection.

What is your favorite quote?

“She believed she could, so she did.” - Original Author Unknown

So, what’s next? Any big plans?

This summer I’ll be training locally and doing an intensive in Dallas. I also have some fashion and dance photoshoots coming up. In the fall, I’ll start High school and continue with my pre-pro training. Long term, I want to attend Juilliard. Although Juilliard is a hard school to be accepted into, I plan to work as hard as I can to get to where I want to go. After graduating from Juilliard, I plan to join a company in New York and perform in productions around the U.S.