Ballet Arts is proud to present Manolia’s career so far, a student we have known since she was very young and who has now spread her wings and is fulfilling her dreams in England. Manolia was kind enough to give us some of her time, as she always does when she visits Greece between her study commitments, which we appreciate, since as a school we always follow the later course of our students and make sure that we do not lose the bonds that have been created through so many years of education.
Argyro – Manolia Zenetzi
A young and bright girl with a lively look and self-confidence but above all a person with morals.
She was born in Athens in 2001 and started her training in Ballet Arts at Grade 1 with Lisa Kyriakidou, as her parents were looking very specifically for a dance school certified by RAD. Thus, she begins a path that even she herself did not imagine at first.
As she grows up, she also enrolls in the classical and modern dance classes of the school and passes all the exams of the levels. Her love for dance not only does not diminish over the years but on the contrary, grows every day.
Already since her teenage years, she is extremely active and is building an artistic resume with participation in national dance competitions achieving 2nd and 3rd place as well as participation in dance summer camps abroad.
At the same time she has already started tutoring classes to prepare for the national exams, as she had intended to study medicine. She is now in the second grade and that’s where the twist happens.
She wants to become a professional dancer.
She believes that dance exercises the body and the soul, just like sport. But dance is above all an art. There is music and you train your expression. It requires grace, discipline, musicality and much more, which she discovers daily through her training.
Finishing 3rd grade, specifically in May of that year, she auditions for the Foundation Course at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, where 3-5 thousand children attend each year in hopes of a professional career in dance, but only 50 are accepted. And Manolia passes the audition! She is one of the 50 children who entered this university that is distinguished for the quality of classical studies!
When we asked her what advice she would give to the younger children who are taking up dance, she replied that one of the most important things is to follow the instructions of our teacher at least in terms of technique and not to miss the warm-up. In this way we minimize the risk of injury, which can be fatal for our later dance career.
As for her opinion on someone’s talent in dance, she replied that even if someone believes that they have no talent but still love dance, they will work hard motivated by their love for it. This work will eventually lead to a result one never imagined and will be pleasantly surprised.
Manolia is now in her final year of school and in October when applications for companies open, she will apply in the hope of being accepted to some of them in September.
Her preference: Netherland dans Theater
So she continues with dedication to her goals to become a professional dancer abroad and one day she will return to her beloved Greece…
