Kennedy McDonald has been a ballerina for as long as she can remember. From being signed up for dance lessons at three years old to now dancing with Ballet Chelsea, McDonald’s love of dance has practically grown up with her. However, she admits that it comes with many hurdles.

“The teachers would always yell, and they kind of pushed me past my limits as much as they could without truly harming me,” McDonald said. “They pushed me as far as I could go, but I kind of learned from it.”

For McDonald, one of the biggest issues in the world of dance is body image, and she is often pressured to fit high expectations imposed by dance students and staff. Additionally, making friends in the studio has been difficult for McDonald. Between the fierce competitiveness and physical taxation of the art, there isn’t much room for healthy bonds to form.

“I used to really hate the competition aspect of it, but the longer I’ve danced, the more I’ve realized how much I actually like it,” McDonald said. “I think friendly competition is what everyone needs.”

McDonald has found herself becoming much more resilient from her years doing ballet, both mentally and physically. She remembers her very first time standing on a single toe and feeling a rush of pain, which she admits has lessened after performing hundreds of times throughout the years. In the future, McDonald hopes to be signed by a ballet company, go professional, and even make some money.

“I cry all the time,” McDonald said. “I still really enjoy it. I just cry over it a lot.”