The classic high school experience immortalised in film and fiction isn't the same for everyone; in fact, if you're a child genius with a gift that's rare enough to pursue professionally, it's wildly different. For a peek behind the curtain, ELLE spoke with Zoe Cavedon, a senior at Florida's prestigious Harid Conservatory in Boca Raton. She's in her final year of studying ballet 10,000 miles away from her hometown in Victoria, Australia and, spoiler alert: This is not your typical suburban high school.
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1
On deciding to leave home:
"The opportunity [to go to Harid] arose through a scholarship I got at a ballet competition in New York, and I knew there was no way I could say no to it. It's a step I was willing to take for my career. My parents were really proud, and there wasn't a lot of convincing to do because they were ready to support me 100 percent. We knew if I wanted this, this is the way I should go about it."
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2
On how it affects her family:
"My parents haven't visited, [but] I got to go home for Christmas. It's really only twice a year that I get to see them. This year they might be coming for my graduation, which is really exciting. Going all those months just with phone calls, it definitely gets to you. I have a younger brother and sister, and I've noticed my sister and I fight a lot less now that I've been away. If anything, we've gotten closer. It's hard not being with her, going through her mid-teen years and not being able to be the sister who's there. I miss my little brother so much. Neither of them dance: I think they just saw what it is for me and thought, 'Wow, way too much.'"
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3
On a typical day:
"We start at 8 a.m. at our learning centre where we all individually work on our own online school. We do that for about four hours, then we get a lunch break at noon, and we start technique class at 12:40. That class is followed by pointe, or variations, or a pas de deux class, then, on top of that, we'll have about three more hours of rehearsals. We finish around six and eat dinner, then we're required to do study hour in the evenings."
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4
On the highlights and the difficulties:
"It was definitely really, really different, starting school and finishing before noon, [but] it's my life now. The best part is being able to focus on my dance earlier in the day instead of in the evenings when you start to get tired. I've had my [dance] teacher for two years now, and she's done wonders for me. The hard part was the adjustment to being away from my family and working out the time zones to call my parents, trying to fit things into those hours and connect with them as if I was in my household. It was so hard with online school to get through all your work, plus training your body to do a week's worth of ballet."
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5
On not falling out of love with ballet:
"I just strive for perfection. It's constant: Everyday is a new opportunity for me to obtain that. Knowing what I'm giving up and what my parents are doing for me—that increases my focus. We're very ballet, ballet, ballet, but you have friends and can relax a bit afterward and just talk about regular things."
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6
On what she misses most:
"Ballet kind of consumes you. I used to love playing sports and doing other extracurriculars, but now you have to worry about injuries and things like that, so I've had to stop. It's the little things I really miss, giving up the culture and lifestyle of Australia. I miss being around Australians all the time. You give up more of a social life too. Most teens go out and party on the weekends, but we're pretty disciplined. We have to take care of our bodies. It's not a sacrifice in a bad way—it's one I'm willing to make because I'm getting to do what I love."
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7
On competition as a constant:
"It's definitely competitive, but we all know that. The feeling is mutual, because we're all wanting the same outcome. It doesn't usually get in the way of our friendships — if anything, it makes us closer. I've been going to the same auditions with my friends. We knew we were going into this career and it was going to be hard. We can't let it get in the way of our friendships."
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8
On focusing on a career earlier than most teens:
"It comes naturally. Once you start with that intensity, you can't see yourself doing anything else. You put all your time and effort into these rehearsals and hours in the studio. You still focus on your academics, but it's hard to see yourself doing another career. It starts so early, and once I knew I wanted to [dance professionally], I knew I had to put everything into it now. I just can't see myself doing anything else.
"I compare myself to the friends I grew up with in elementary school, and it's so different. You have to grow up really quickly in this industry."
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9
On differences and similarities between traditional school:
"We still worry about final exams. We don't bounce from class to class like in a regular school, and there are a lot more physical hours — it's more physical than a regular high school. We spend time with each other as friends, but we also live with our friends. [Conversations] can be about nothing, but somehow it always gets back to ballet. It always happens, whether it's about teachers [or whatever,] it always travels back to that subject.
"Most of the time we're in active wear. Very casual. When we have the slightest chance to dress up, most of us go all out. The dresses, the heels—we get very excited because it doesn't up that often. Every Sunday we have a trip to Target [an American retail chain]; every Wednesday we go to Publix [a supermarket]. On the weekends we can organise a run and get them approved by supervisors. They have a van and a mini-bus, and they can take us wherever we want to go around Boca."
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10
On life post-graduation:
"I definitely want to be a professional dancer — to just be a dancer and get paid to do what I love. I'd love to dance in the United States after training here because I've got a feel for how they feel about ballet. I'd like to dance in Australia, but the opportunities are greater here. At home, it's very restricted, there's not a lot of spots. This is definitely audition season, and I've had to start looking for jobs. Because I'm only 17, I could probably get a trainee position or in a second company, like a junior company, and work my way up. It's very stressful, but exciting at the same time."
Leah Melby Clinton is a writer, editor, and serious shopper who loves discovering new labels, detailing the best ways to build a wardrobe, and interviewing interesting people.