Ripley Mayfield 14 ~ Burklyn Ballet Theatre Scholarship

My name is Ripley Mayfield and I am a fourteen year old freshman at the Hockaday School in Dallas. I have been studying at the Ballet Academy of Texas since 2001, and I am a member of the company there, the Ballet Ensemble of Texas. I take ballet and modern, and have taken jazz, hip hop, and musical theater in the past. I also take dance classes as a fine art credit at my school.

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I have attended the Burklyn Ballet Theater intensive for four consecutive years and plan on going there again; although, after my audition tape was filmed I also decided to attend the ABT California summer intensive as well.

In the next few years, I hope to still be progressing in my study of dance and continuing to attend summer workshops to gain new experiences and friendships.

Since 2009, every year I go to Burklyn Ballet Theatre and it always exceeds my expectations. Even though I only went for two weeks, the many teachers I had were wonderful and gave attention to each and every student which was extremely beneficial to my improvement in technique. These instructors included Helen Starr, John Gardner, Amanda McKerrow, and Robert Mills. However, my favorite aspect of the program is the performances each Saturday. I had the opportunity to be cast in Jardin Anime, Sleeping Beauty, and a new contemporary piece set by Julia Gleich. I think it really helped my versatility as a dancer to be cast in both a classical ballet and modern dance all in the same week. I plan to return again next year, as Burklyn has become a second home to me. 

~ Ripley