Today we’d like to introduce you to Kelly Yankle.
Kelly, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
My name is Kelly Yankle, and I am professional dancer, director, mentor, choreographer, and founder and director of the East Side Performing Arts Professional Training and Youth Dance Program on the east side of Austin. I come from a very humble upbringing in Canton, Ohio where I started taking ballet at small studio around the corner from my house as a child. When the girls were mean to me, I was devastated and wanted to quit, but I loved dance and didn’t know what to do. I’ll never forget my mom telling me, no matter where I went I would deal with this, and it was then my teacher said I needed to audition for the “ballet school.” There was only one in my town and I was scared- I had no idea what I was doing- I almost left the audition, but I stayed and to my surprise they offered me a full scholarship. It’s kind of crazy to think at such a young age I was already developing the entire platform that I stand on today- committed to dance, and a healthy environment, committed to developing programming for aspiring dancers that is not only the highest level of professional dance education, but done in a supportive and uplifting way, not training dancers to cut each other down to succeed. It’s all backwards! Dance has long been infamous for horrible behaviors from teachers and students, and it simply doesn’t have to be that way. I was fortunate to have good parents and good teachers who guided me, enabling to study on scholarship at prestigious institutions such as The School of American Ballet, the official school of New York City Ballet, Pacific Northwest Ballet, American Ballet Theater, The Chautauqua Institution. After years of dedication and sacrifice I was offered a contract with the Cincinnati Ballet, as well as a full dance and academic scholarship to The University of Cincinnati’s College Conservatory of Music, and I began breaking barriers for professional dancers who also wanted to go to college at the same time as dancing professionally. It had not been done before and every time I look back, I think of how many times someone told me I couldn’t do something, or it wouldn’t be possible, and I did it anyway. I made every dream come true because I was willing to work for it and do things that had not been done yet. I was able to double major and receive my BFA and dance professionally all over the world. After a devastating knee injury forced me to retire from full time professional dance, I was fortunate to receive multiple offerings to direct my own program, with a full faculty of professionals in addition to me, and I have been in Austin for the past ten years doing just that, and I am so grateful.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Most definitely not. The opposite I would say. I was bullied as a young girl in ballet when I showed promise. I didn’t understand what was happing and when my teacher suggested that I switch schools to go to the “ballet school,” I was afraid of the change and my parents had very candidly spoken to me about the fact they could not afford it. Seemingly, my dream was over before it even began. However, they found a way to get me to the audition (when there’s a will, there’s a way) and I was way out of my league, I didn’t know the names of any of the steps, I wasn’t dressed right, I had no idea what I was doing and I almost left the room in tears because I was certain I wouldn’t make it. But something kept in that room, and at the end, they offered me a full scholarship. I was ten years old and two years later I was training on scholarship in New York City and top ballet institutions all of the world, leading to a professional career and college degree. The grueling life a of a dancer began taking it toll, experiencing the politics, unfairness, unethical practices, and severe injuries, was shocking for such a young dancer from Canton, Ohio. Again, I found myself on that same platform – there has to be another way to do this in a healthier environment. I wasn’t willing to sacrifice who I was as a person. My career was an amazingly full one, but was also riddled with injuries, constantly things happening where it felt like the door was being slammed in your face, another hurdle to jump, another obstacle to overcome come, all of the time. But the thing was, I did it. Every time I was hurt, I recovered and came back stronger. Every time something dared to knock me down, I got back up, THAT is how I’m here today. BECAUSE of the hard, because of what threatened to destroy me. I am thankful for my struggle for without it, I’d not have found my strength. I had an amazing family who supported me and showed me the value of hard work and never giving up. Never let someone tell you you can’t do something, allow it to fuel you and fortify you to become a pioneer of your own path and you will absolutely find your success.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
We offer youth and preprofessional dance education and performance opportunities in versatile regiment with a classical Ballet focus. We provide personal mentorship and professional dance education for not only aspiring professional dancers, but all dancers who wish to be educated properly in the field of dance, with ballet, modern, contemporary and musical theater jazz offerings. We offer multiple performance opportunities such as The Nutcracker, The Sleeping Beauty, Swan Lake, and more as well as the Connec(TX)ions Dance Festival. Members of the East Side Performing Arts Professional Training program have also been awarded in international youth dance scholarship events such as the Youth America Grand Prix, International Ballet Competition, and Universal Ballet Competition. They also have the opportunity to dance and train internationally through our study abroad program.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
DANCE. There is nothing I love more than dancing, it fills me and fuels me in a way nothing else does, and the connections created through doing this last a lifetime. It truly saves lives and adds so much to every life that is touched by this.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.eastsideperformingarts.com/espa-ptp
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/eastsideperformingarts_ptp_atx?igsh=MWhib203emdudDBlZg==
