Dance Student Spotlight: Olivia Lappenga

My name is Olivia Lappenga, and I am 14 years old. I live in Michigan and Florida and my studio is Sarasota Cuban Ballet School.

@Liv_dancer_4

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

My mother did ballet for a long time until her knee injury kept her from continuing into a professional career. So when I didn’t like any sports, she started me in ballet classes. I fell in love with ballet and still rarely miss a class. I started when I was three, but I wasn’t serious about it until I was around seven years old. The number one thing that has gotten me where I am is hard work. Some people are born with amazing feet, legs, and tons of natural talent, but with or without those things, you aren’t going to get anywhere without hard work and determination.

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?

Ballet definitely isn’t easy. For me, the hardest thing is comparing myself to other dancers instead of just focusing on myself. I’ve learned that’s what keeps me from doing my best in class and on stage. I wouldn’t say I have completely stopped comparing myself to others, but I have improved. Once I started focusing on myself, my confidence grew along with my skill level. So it hasn’t been easy, but keeping a positive attitude always makes things seem a little easier.

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

Keeping up relationships with my friends outside of dance has been hard. Being so busy all the time definitely doesn’t leave much room for quality time with friends. So I have often felt guilty for always choosing class over friends, but the friends that have stuck by me regardless, support my dreams. I couldn’t be more grateful.

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

No one has tried to limit what I can do, but I have been told I won’t be able to become a professional dancer because of my physical limits.

How do you conquer negative talk?

I really try my best to turn negative talk into constructive criticism. Having thick skin in dance is very important. It helps you recognize when criticism is helpful, or negative talk you can prove wrong. I hope at some point dance can become a more positive community than it already is.

What is your favorite quote?

"Forever is composed of nows." - Emily Dickinson

So, what’s next? Any big plans?

This will be my first year at Sarasota Cuban Ballet School, so it’s definitely a big change from Michigan to Florida. I am also auditioning for lots of places this summer, and of course, I hope to one day be a professional dancer, hopefully somewhere in Europe.