An hour-long commute followed by five hours of dancing at The Joffrey Ballet six days a week doesn’t intimidate sophomore Myra Broederdorf. She’s willing to sacrifice her final two years at a traditional high school to commit herself fully to professional ballet dance training. For Broederdorf, this decision comes naturally.

“I’ve never been able to imagine myself at a college or at a desk job. Really, ballet is the only thing I want to do,” Broederdorf said.

In this segment with The RoundUp, Broederdorf shares her plans for the future and what ignited a love for dance that drives her passion today.

“My mom was a professional dancer, so with me, as well as all of my siblings, she put us in dance when we were really young, just to see if we would like it,” Broederdorf said. “I fell in love with it.”

Ultimately, it was her role as Clara in Tchaikovsky’s famous ballet, The Nutcracker, that helped Broederdorf envision herself pursuing dance as a career.

“Putting in all the hours of hard work for that role really just made me fall in love even deeper with dance, and it made me realize that it’s something that I could do in the future,” Broederdorf said.

In eighth grade, Broederdorf began auditioning for full-time ballet programs. While she was not admitted during her first two application cycles, the initial rejections motivated Broederdorf to refine her skills.

“I love the idea of working hard and being able to see improvement, and so I think over time that has really pushed me to just keep trying for my goals,” Broederdorf said.

With her acceptance this year to the full-time program at The Grainger Academy of The Joffrey Ballet, Broederdorf is switching to online high school with the goal of earning a professional contract in the near future.

While prioritizing dance above all else is not without sacrifice, Broederdorf is prepared to pursue this lifestyle wholeheartedly, and she encourages others to explore their interests to the fullest extent.

“If you are constantly thinking about what you love or doing what you love, then you should try to go into that and pursue your passions, because overall that will make you the happiest in life,” Broederdorf said.

Tune in to hear more about Myra Broederdorf’s dance journey!