A: I had to make a lot of sacrifices...I mean it's the same here at Harvard. The only difference is that now I can schedule my classes around my dance schedule. But even that's kind of frustrating because it limits what classes I can take if they conflict with ballet classes. It's hard because most people don't have this problem.

Q: Who did you learn under? Who were your teachers?

A: I started with private teachers, but it depends from person to person. I could have taken lessons at the Boston Ballet, but I didn't. I don't have a specific teacher now. I just take classes. I have reached a level where the next step is a career. It's not as if anyone is training me; I have to take [my past] training and do something about it.

Q: Do you plan to teach?

A: Teachers are usually dancers who can't dance any more, and when I can't dance any more, I'll become a doctor.

Q: A doctor! So you plan to juggle careers all your life?

A: I am a biology concentrator, and am planning to go into medicine. I am going to have a career other than ballet. I am going to have multiple careers [laughs]. That's hard too, because a lot of kids who are bio. concentrators or premed are planning their summers [according to their academic goals]. But my summers and my extra-curricular time are so completely different from what I do at school that it's really hard for me to devote extra time to school when I devote all my extra time to ballet.

Q: So, will you pursue dance even in medical school?

A: I will always be a dancer, at least in my heart, but a dancer's career is so short, and in the late 20s you're considered over-the-hill. Academics is different, it's always there, I can always go to medical school. I can always study. I can't always dance. It's really a unique situation and a lot of people probably don't appreciate it as much as if they knew how limited your time is.

Q: Do you feel handicapped in any way relative to your friends or do you feel satisfied with your dual career?

A: My roommates are really well-rounded people. They do all these extracurriculars, belong to all these papers and stuff. Last year when I did the Nutcracker, I danced with all these people for whom dance is their career. This is all they do. That's a full life for them--and I still have school. That's why I feel like I am compromising both school and ballet right now. This is because I want to devote myself solely to one or the other, and I'm not doing that right now. I hope to do just ballet during my year off.

Q: Are you going to make any big decisions during your year off? Are you going to return to Harvard?

A: I really want to see if [ballet] is really what I want to do, and if I'm satisfied with that kind of life.

Q: Do you have any idols?

A: Obviously I see many dancers, but I don't have any idol in particular. I just want to do what they do--strictly classical ballet, although a lot of companies are requiring a more rounded dancing experience, more modern dance and stuff.