I never knew I wanted to become a ballerina. I was discovered at the age of 13. I had a love for movement even though I had no exposure to dance other than what I saw in music videos, like hip-hop music videos. But I knew that I loved moving.

Once I became a professional, maybe 19 or 20, I really started to try to figure out who I was, as a woman and as an individual.

I absolutely love what I do, and I want to dance for as long as I can and feel good about what I am putting out there on the stage.

I'm definitely very careful about the things that I want to be a part of, but it's also important for me to get dance out there to more people.

I think I always felt a connection to music and to movement. Growing up, I was surrounded by R&B and Hip-Hop, and the closest thing I could find to dance was gymnastics which I watched on TV.

I think that I'm so fortunate to have found classical ballet. It completely changed my life and it shaped the person that I am today, on and off the stage.

I learned how to communicate and articulate myself from ballet. It's just insane to me, when they don't think of that as a part of our education.