Ballet Talk, Q&A with Kamryn Belcher
Get to know one of PRIMA’s ambassadors, Kamryn Belcher
With its primary goal of helping ballet dancers and dancers alike through everyday self-care rituals, PRIMA has met promising individuals in the field. These encounters
have led PRIMA to invite them as ambassadors, expanding its reach further to different countries all around the world. PRIMA boasts of its ambassadors and the delight that comes with working with them, which is why PRIMA wishes to let people know more about them through small ballet talk.
One of the promising ambassadors in PRIMA’s lineup is Kamryn Belcher. Kamryn started pursuing ballet at the Take Five Dance Academy as early as three years old. For children of that age, it is common to take interest in numerous things as one encounters different experiences, which is a valid reason for children to switch from one interest to another. As for Kamryn? Ballet was here to stay. The elegance in ballet art had captured the three-year-old Kamryn's interest.
Starting ballet at an early age is expected, but it is still quite the challenge, as we all know that training takes up a huge chunk of time from one’s day. For the young Kamryn, she never thought of her ballet training as a hindrance from her childhood, but rather training is her childhood, itself. If there was one thing that she felt like she had sacrificed, it was her family time while growing up, but that is nothing the current Kamryn cannot fix, thankfully. Promptly, she reveals that she grew up with the same group of girls who supported each other throughout their training, and it brings to light as to what may be helped Kamryn keep her head up while in pursuit of her career in ballet.
The genuine camaraderie in a ballet company is what pulls everything together. From the early morning rituals to the continuous repeat of routines, until the approaching evenings as training slows down, taking a step back and seeing the people with you who share the same passion truly feels gratifying. In fact, sometimes it feels like something is missing when a member is not present, and it is the same for Kamryn. “When we are on any kind of dance break,” Kamryn says, “we do not know what to do without each other.”
If one were to ask any dancer, there is a good chance they will acknowledge their
mentor as the one who influences them a lot, whether in dance techniques or in-field knowledge. Kamryn mentions Ms. Jenny, who mentors her in her ballet journey. Working with her sounds like a joy after learning about her kind nature from Kamryn. The latter adds in the fact that her mentor is quite funny, too. Kamryn also talks about her role model, who is no other than American Ballet Theater’s Misty Copeland, and how amazing she is.
All of the aforementioned people have helped mold Kamryn into the person she is today. When talking about accomplishments, while she has not entered competitions yet, Kamryn proudly shares about being a recipient of a ballet scholarship offered to her at the Nuvo Dance Convention. She also takes pride in being able to take part in ballet productions at her academy like Alice in Wonderland, Snow White, The Wizard of Oz, The Little Mermaid, Harry Potter, and Cinderella. After asking her if there is a role she dreams of playing, she happily tells us that it is no other than Sleeping Beauty’s Bluebird, an elegant role befitting the young lady’s temperament.
In reaching one’s dreams, setbacks are to be expected. Kamryn reveals that she has tendinitis in her Achilles, and even when told that she should give it some rest, she admits that she does not have much time to do so. But if her time allows her, Kamryn makes sure to stretch properly and ice her Achilles, always wearing her leg warmers to make sure she’s in her best shape for the day. Aside from her leg warmers, a few other stuff Kamryn keeps with her are her TheraBand, lacrosse ball, and a few of PRIMA’s products. PRIMA hopes its products can help relieve other dancers of their pains, as well, and thanks Kamryn for trusting its products for her self-care needs.
They call it growing pains, as one might say, but it is nothing to be scared of, or even fret about. Kamryn continues to grow into a wonderful dancer, one that her younger self has dreamed of. With everything she needs in arm’s reach, PRIMA cheers on its ambassador with her ongoing journey. In the future, Kamryn’s goal is to be casted in more ballet productions at her academy. As of the moment, Kamryn reveals that she is busy working on The Nutcracker for their Christmas recital, as well as Mary Poppins for their June recital.
Written by: Grace Iglesias