My best friend of 11 years, Kendra Frank, has always been the kind of girl you would look up to. She is strong, independent, smart, kind, and just the right kind of crazy. Over the course of our friendship, I have seen her grow from a buck-toothed second grader into a beautiful woman who accomplishes whatever she sets her mind to.
It all started when she got her first tutu at the age of two. From there, a fire fueled underneath her ballet slippers and her love for dance had just begun. She went on to dance throughout all of elementary, middle, and high school, and is now continuing her love at a professional company in San Francisco. Frank said, "Whenever I would go to dance, I would leave all my troubles behind and escape. I could be a different person when dancing different characters." Over the years, Kendra has been every character you can imagine. So far, she's preformed in about one thousand shows with many more to come.
With most of her time devoted to her passion, she had little down time balancing school, dance, and a social life. Missing football games or not being able to have sleepovers did not seem to phase her. Frank said, "I never felt that I was missing out on things. I never had the crave to do anything else other than dance class. I even missed my senior year at a regular high school for dancing, and I don't regret that at all. It made me stronger." Perhaps this drive is what makes her so good.
Before moving to the other side of the country, Kendra danced at a small studio in Hanover, Massachusetts. There were not many dancers, and she was at the top of her level. The teachers there were unbelievable, all different in their own ways. Frank said, "One teacher in particular would pick apart every detail of step and correct every technical error." The Hanover school would put on two shows a year; The Nutcracker in December, and a spring performance in May.
While most seniors at high school applied to colleges in hope of an admittance, Kendra was auditioning for large companies, in hope of making her lifelong dream come true. From January to March, she spent weekends travelling to either Boston or New York City. She had offers from other companies, but her father encouraged her to choose a company on the West Coast, to experience something different.
After reviewing all possibilities, including attending college, her decision to dance with Bay Point Ballet, in the heart of San Francisco was the right decision. It has become home. The transition has been a whole new experience. Frank says, "I had to quickly grow up from a teenager to an adult on my own. Dancing was different as well. I went from the oldest and top of my class to the youngest and at the bottom. I was nervous about what the director taught and intimidated by the older dancers at first. I had to learn how to correct myself without being given corrections. I had to learn how to incorporate my mature artistry into my dancing."
Over the years, she has learned countless life lessons learning from her teachers, co-dancers, and herself. The best lessons learned yet are: "not to dance for someone else, but to dance for myself, to not be intimidated by how other dancers, teachers, or directors judge me, and to dance with the love I have for the sport; the love I found when I was a young ballerina."
Kendra continues to work hard in the studio for about eight hours, every day. Her advice to young girls who have dreams is, "don't let people tell you that it won't happen. Show them that you can accomplish anything. Always think positive, and don't let negativity get to you." She will continue to live by these words until her dream of becoming a mature dancer with a principal ranking in a company comes true. All it takes is dedication, passion for what you do, and the motivation to accomplish anything you set your mind to.
