Something happens when you feel that energy and excitement from the audience. And you do, I don't know, four pirouettes. You jump higher than you ever have. And it's just this really magical thing that happens in those moments.

You're always working to improve, and you're always being critiqued on your next performance. It's not about what you've done. There's always room to grow.

Going on stage and doing ballet, for the first time, was even more verification of, "This is what I'm meant to do. This is what I'm going to do. I'm going to make it somehow."

Going on stage and transcending the audience and becoming this otherworldly thing makes you a dancer. It's not so black and white.

That it's possible to do positive things and I think that's how we're going to set an example to be respected as women in the world.

I do think that it's a responsibility when there are so few of us as African Americans to kind of get to that place of success in a positive light. We should take a stance and stand for something and use that platform for positivity.

I ended up training only for four years before I was accepted into American Ballet Theater in New York City.