By Krystle J Bailey
The joy on 12-year-old Lily Sawicki’s face as she arabesques her way through her hometown dance studio is palpable. Lily’s love for the intricate art of ballet began at four years old when, like many young girls, she tried a dance class for the first time. As she stepped onto the floor at Dance Works in Mays Landing, she was unaware of how much her life was about to change.
As she prepares to fly across the country to attend the first of three summer intensives at San Francisco Ballet School, Lily looks forward to performing as a guest artist with the school that introduced her to her dance in an upcoming classical variation. From there, it’s off to California, Connecticut, and New York for the local phenomenon as she learns from the best in ballet from coast to coast.
Eight years ago, after watching the Dora The Explorer Ice Spectacular, four-year-old Lily expressed an interest in ice skating classes. Taking a more cautious approach, her mother, Kari, encouraged her to “try it on land” first, which is where Lily’s ballet journey began.
“She got on stage at her first recital and completely lit up,” shares Kari Sawicki. “From there, it was all she wanted to do. A lot of kids have different hobbies, but for Lily, it’s always been dance, specifically ballet.”
By seven, the dedicated young ballerina embarked on her first dance competition, where she earned the title of Miss Petite True Talent. At ten, she secured a gold medal at the National Ballet Competition. Since then, she has gone on to place as a finalist at the Universal Ballet Competition, World Ballet Competition, and Miami International Ballet Competition.
In 2020 and 2021, Lily starred as Clara in the Atlantic City Ballet Nutcracker, and last year, she performed in the recording of a short film out of New York.
“When I perform, I feel free of the world,” explains the well-spoken and poised pre-teen. “I like to be in front of people and make other people happy with my joy.”
When Lily competed at the Youth American Grand Prix in Philadelphia last year, judge and internationally renowned ballet teacher Peter Stark offered her a scholarship to attend Rock School for Dance Education summer intensive, where she has gone on to study year-round.
Given the natural drive and commitment to ballet that Lily exhibited early on, along with her desire to further her practice, Lily was transitioned to home-based academic education with a full focus on her passion for ballet. Unlike most sixth graders, Lily’s day begins with morning coffee and a little bit of schoolwork, followed by a full day of conditioning, technique, and rehearsals.
She begins her mornings at Dance Works, where she hones in on minor corrections and tries new dance variations. From there, she completes more schoolwork on her way to “The Rock” (Rock School for Dance Education), where she trains with other teenage dancers six days per week. In the evenings, she focuses on perfecting her technique before winding down with dinner and stretching. As her long days end, Lily shares that she looks forward to a nice big bowl of pasta for dinner, preferably Alfredo.
This summer, Lily is taking her love of dance across the United States on a three-stop summer intensive tour. She applied for 26 different summer intensive programs across the country where select aspiring ballet dancers are invited to learn under the tutelage of the prestigious dance school faculty. All 26 of Lily’s applications were accepted.
With some logistical finessing by her mother, Kari, Lily will begin her summer adventure with four weeks at San Francisco Ballet School, one of her dream companies to work for. After a brief rest, she will head to Bolshoi Ballet Academy in Connecticut for three weeks, ending with two weeks at Ballet Academy East in Manhattan. In between intensives, Lily will make a brief stop in New York City, where she will perform in a two-day showing of Firebird with the NYC Ballet Children’s Cast.
When Lily isn’t dancing her way through big cities, she loves to shop and spend time with her friends and family. She aspires to one day work as a professional dancer for a highly-regarded ballet company.
“I’ve never seen anyone with a work ethic like her,” shares Lily’s mother Kari. “She has a drive and wants to do better all the time. I don’t ever want to stand in the way of that. We wouldn’t have been able to do this without the help of other people, including her grandparents. It seriously takes a village.”
Lily’s ballet journey is just beginning. Keep up with her adventures on Instagram at @BalletLilyRose.
Krystle J Bailey is a multimedia journalist, author and poet. Connect with Krystle on Instagram @thedailybailey5
