PVHS Junior Leaps Into Greatness

In October of last year, junior Jackie Lane was handed the opportunity of a lifetime: to compete in one of ballet’s most distinguished international competitions. Lane was one of 73 ballerinas chosen from a pool of 400 highly-qualified applicants for the Prix de Lausanne competition held in Lausanne, Switzerland.  

Lane recalls when she first entered into the ballet world.  

“I first started ballet when I was five years old, but I really started taking it seriously when I was eight,” Lane said. “I dance at the Peninsula School of Performing Arts (PSPA) and I’ve performed in their various productions like The Nutcracker and Sleeping Beauty.”

Lane remembers the months of intense preparation after receiving her invitation to the competition.

“For this competition, I had to train a lot more than I usually do,” Lane said. “Not only did I have to prepare pieces, I had to make sure that I was a well rounded, strong dancer. I would spend five or six hours after school in the studio working on my technique and practicing my routines. I also had to do other cross training and physical therapy.

“The whole point of the competition was to look at the dancer as a whole. The judges observe a week of classes and they note how you take critiques and how you get along and work with the other dancers. They judge four parts: classical [class], contemporary class, classical pieces and contemporary pieces performed on stage.”

Lane spent two weeks this past month in Switzerland for the prestigious competition. 

“I was super nervous before the competition,” Lane said. “But Switzerland is such a beautiful country. The view outside my hotel room overlooked this scenic lake. The competition itself was super stressful, but I made a lot of friends and it was an amazing experience overall.”

Lane also had many supporters by her side throughout her ballet career. 

“I definitely look up to my dance teacher Vera,” Lane said. 

“She is nothing but positive all the time and she makes me feel super supported and loved.  She helped me prepare both mentally and physically for the competition, and she even came with me to Switzerland.”

Lane credits the preparation and actual experience of the Prix de Lausanne for making her a better dancer and individual.

“I think it gave me a different outlook on the ballet world,” Lane said. “Having the exposure to other talented dancers has definitely motivated me as a dancer. I think it’s also made me stronger as a person because of all the hard work and time I put in.”