Parenting the Passionate Child
by Ellen Orr
Many little girls dream of being ballerinas, lulled by tulle, pop culture, and the twirling dancer in their jewelry boxes. Few, however, have what it takes to go pro—namely, the passion and the parents. Calista Olson is one of those few.
The Olsons, a military family, moved to Texarkana when daughter Calista was in the fifth grade. She and her older brother, Blaise, both enrolled in Pleasant Grove Independent School District. In her years leading up to high school, Calista stayed busy, taking advanced classes, serving in the student council, participating in athletics (volleyball, track, and soccer), cheerleading, and, of course, dancing.
During the school year, she danced with local studio Judith McCarty School of Dance. During the summers, she was traveling out-of-state to pursue her passion, spending her “vacations” all over the country: she practiced with Philadelphia’s Rock School at 11; New York City’s School of American Ballet at 12; Utah’s Ballet West at 13; and Miami City Ballet at 14.
The Miami City Ballet’s summer intensive is a five-week long program for top-tier dancers ages 12 to 18. At just over a month, it is long enough to give elite ballerinas a taste of the profession—but, for Calista, her time in Miami wouldn’t end with a taste.
“At the end of the intensive, I was lucky enough to be asked by the school’s director to attend the year-round, pre-professional program,” Calista said. “My parents, of course, were ecstatic for me and insisted I should go.”
To a serious dancer, the decision to attend may seem like a no-brainer—the Miami City Ballet is world-renowned and has graduated numerous acclaimed dancers—but the Olson parents had other things to consider.
“There were many factors that went into this decision,” mother Susan said. “[When Calista was offered the position] my son was in his senior year of high school and did not want to leave [Texarkana]. We are a military family, so my husband [Kirby] and I had lived apart during our marriage, but separating a family is always difficult.”
Despite these challenges, the Olsons knew what they had to do. “We knew Calista wanted to pursue dance as a career,” Susan said. “As parents, our job is to support our children in any way possible.” Susan and Calista moved into an apartment in Miami Beach.
Since relocating, Calista’s life has become a whirlwind. “I am one of the few dancers in the pre-professional program who actually attends public school, as most are online schooled,” she said. “I go to Miami Beach Senior High School from 7:20 to 12:10. I am enrolled in the Scholars Program and take AP and honors classes.
“After school, I have a few hours to eat, dance, and do homework. I also have a part-time job walking dogs in between school and dance. I am saving money to help contribute to the cost of a summer program this year at Pacific Northwest Ballet in Seattle.
“Then I go to MCB, where I dance from about 3 to 8 p.m. every day. On Saturdays, I dance from about 10:30 a.m. to 3 p.m., and Sundays are my days off.”
Such a schedule could be crazy-making, and Calista acknowledges that it is a grind to fit everything in, but, ultimately, she loves her life. “The only hard part [about my life in Miami] is dealing with everything in my full schedule,” she said. “It’s difficult balancing dance and school, because both are very important parts of my life and take up most of my time. But I’m getting to do what I love every day, and when I’m not dancing, I’m able to go to the beach and hang out with friends.”
Looking ahead, Calista has a pretty solid plan in place for her future. She hopes next year to transition into a full-day pre-professional program, which will prepare her to audition for companies all over the nation. “Hopefully at 18 or 19, I will be hired as an apprentice or at a company, wherever that takes me,” she said. “I don’t have a specific company in mind, since I know dancers move all over during their time dancing.”
But Calista knows that a career as a dancer will only be one chapter of her adult life. “I will continue with schooling, probably online, and get my bachelor’s degree while in a company,” she said. “Then, after I retire from dance, since the career usually only lasts to about 30 years old, I want to go back to school and get my physical therapy degree, since I have a love for health and could work for a ballet company.”
Most teenagers have no idea what they want to “do” with their lives, and most of those who do “know” are wrong. Calista, however, is not most teenagers. With her talent, drive, educational opportunities, and—perhaps most importantly—supportive parents, she is likely to do whatever she puts her mind to.
“Watching Calista bloom, grow, and thrive in this environment makes all [the sacrifice] worth it,” said Susan. “My greatest hope for both of my children is that they are happy, and seeing the joy on Calista’s face when she dances is a great gift.”
