Fete Lifestyle Magazine May 2015 | Page 24

My Mom

My Mom, Laurie Roberts, always encouraged me to set goals for myself. Nothing was out of reach and she always believed in me. She treated me like an adult at a very early age and gave me the freedom to make my own decisions with just the right amount of support and guidance. She taught me right from wrong and trusted that I would always make good judgments. When I turned fourteen, I moved away from home to join San Francisco Ballet School. My Mom trusted that I was mature enough to take care of myself. Her trust in me gave me the confidence to move from a small town to the big city. She never pressured me to do things I didn't want to, yet she pushed me to try things that weren't always comfortable if she believed that I would grow from the experience. It must have been difficult for her to let me move to San Francisco at such a young age, but my Mom agreed that it was the right thing to do for me. She let me go to San Francisco because she knew that I would thrive there. Mom was right - I did thrive.

I have so many wonderful memories of my childhood. When we took walks or went on bike rides she would make me pause to appreciate the beauty around us. As an adult I still practice this appreciation for life and often stop to look around and enjoy clouds or beautiful flowers. I admire how she instilled that appreciation and gratitude in me.

We spent countless hours together in the car driving to dance or music lessons. Our conversations were two sided and she always spoke to me like an adult. Instead of listening to the radio, we would listen to motivational tapes and audio books by Napoleon Hill, Dale Carnegie or Robert Kiyosaki. I didn’t appreciate listening to them at the time, but I now realize how much listening to those tapes enriched my life and expanded my mind at a very early age.

Also, my parents love and respect for each other shone brightly and they set a great example of what a loving and healthy relationship looks like. The foundation that my Mom set for me attracted so many wonderful things into my life and I’m so grateful for everything she taught me.

My Music Teacher

I was blessed with an ear for music. When I was five years old I taught myself how to play happy birthday for my Mom on our piano. When my Mom asked me who taught me how to play Happy Birthday, I told her I taught myself. She was impressed with my natural ear for music and decided that I needed to start taking lessons. She heard about a local teacher in Lake Tahoe, Pamela Grant, described as ‘the Mary Poppins of piano teachers’. Mrs. Grant was an expert communicator and I immediately fell in love with her on my first lesson. She knew that each student learned in a different way and that no two children have the same skills or interests. She tailored her lessons for each student and created a fun learning environment.

Pam taught me the basics of music theory and techniques to support my songwriting. Those tools gave me the ability to start experimenting with my own sounds and I was able to write music easily at a fairly early age.

Since my last lesson with Pam, over fifteen years ago, I wrote the music for a short film called Free Fall, directed by Luke Willis and I am currently writing a short symphony to be used for a ballet. I am grateful for the musical foundation that Pam set for me and her joy and excitement for music that went along with it. Pam gave me the freedom and confidence to find myself as a composer.

My Ballet Teacher

My first ballet teacher, Robin Price, was a passionate woman who sparked in me the fire of dance. She encouraged me to take dancing to the next level and always believed in me. Robin motivated me to try new things to continue my growth as a dancer.

Every Saturday Robin would pick me up at home and drive me to the studios where we would dance for hours trying new steps and perfecting my technique. She was such an incredible coach and shared all her wisdom and knowledge with me. We became friends and I loved every minute with her during my Saturday lessons.

Each week, Robin would bring me a new video to educate me on the world of dance. She knew that ballet wasn’t the only style that was important as a dancer and introduced me to musicals like An American in Paris, Singing in the Rain, and West Side Story, where I saw jazz and tap for the first time. Watching these films inspired me to become a professional ballerina and then an actor and singer on Broadway.

Robin gave me the gift of dance and taught me to always dance passionately. She encouraged me to take risks and be brave onstage. Her support and encouragement are what made me want to follow my dream of being a ballerina. Dance will be a part of my life forever because of Robin.

I am forever grateful to my Mom, Pamela Grant and Robin Price for their support and most of all, for their unwavering encouragement of my passion to achieve my goals and dreams. Today my dreams are my reality.