The word "prodigy" was thrown around a lot, but I didn't understand what that meant, or the weight of it. It didn't really mean anything to me, until I was older and could look back on it.

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.

I think that training is the key, definitely, and I devoted my life to it.

Just to get into a company like ABT is a dream come true, but to have all of these opportunities on top of it, I don't think it will hit me until I'm 70. I'll be like, "Oh, my god, remember that amazing life you had?" It's an incredible honor to be a part of something like ABT.

My goal has always been to be a principal dancer with ABT.

I definitely like to be natural and more relaxed and not wear a lot of makeup.

The fact that I was African American was never addressed, and that allowed me to just be a student, like anyone else. I was not aware of how rare it was to be an African American, how rare it was to have four years of training under my belt, and how, even though I could imitate people and fake it, unprepared I was to become a professional.