Posted March 4, 2015
When most of us think of dancing, we think of that head-banging solo drum piece we did in the car on the way to work, that fist pump or hip-shake we volunteered to the audience while forced into karaoking with our friends, or of course, following the senselessly simple directions to the Cha Cha Slide. Because after all, we all can “slide to the left!” and “slide to the right!” and maybe even “crisscross!” if we’re feeling up for it.
For most of us, that pretty much sums up the best moves we have. But for others, dancing is far more than juvenile moves to our favorite Taylor Swift or One Direction song.
For Kyle McKoin, Denver Online High School Freshman, dancing has become a lifestyle. Years of commitment have led him to the surreal experience of currently training in Moscow, Russia
in a two month program at one of the most elite academies worldwide: The Bolshoi Ballet Academy. Incredibly, McKoin was one of three U.S. citizens in the fourteen to sixteen age group invited to train at the Russian academy in 2015.
However, this pinnacle in his dance career stands upon a portfolio filled with years of commitment.
Starting at the age of six, McKoin dove into all types of dance-contemporary, jazz, ballet, tap, musical theater, and more. The young dance prodigy consistently received high accolades and scores while competing regionally and nationally, many times earning first place in his dance category and overall recognition in his age group.
At the age of ten, McKoin and his parents made a choice to turn his dance hobby into a career. Transitioning from the competitive dance environment into the technical training of ballet, McKoin started training at Colorado Ballet Academy. With two years and two summer intensive programs under his belt at Colorado Ballet Academy, he was accepted to train in the pre-professional program with the National Ballet of Denver. While students commonly start at the age of fifteen, McKoin was accepted at fourteen, a rare exception that has started becoming commonplace in the dancer’s ballet career.
Fourteen-year-old McKoin recently submitted an audition tape to the Vaganova Ballet Academy in St. Petersburg, Russia, However, McKoin’s mother, Shari, said, “This academy requires you to be 16 years old before considering an individual to be accepted into the program. Needless to say we were quite surprised when we received his acceptance letter to train at this prestigious academy for the 2015 – 2016 international trainee program.”
The freshman credits his parents for the tremendous opportunities he has been given, saying, “I am fortunate to have parents that support my passion and have provided me with the opportunity and visibility to train at the most elite academies worldwide.”
However, these opportunities have not come without sacrifice. While summer vacation is just around the corner for many students, McKoin will devote his summer to two summer intensive programs, one at the American Ballet Theater of New York, and the other at Bolshoi Summer Intensive in Connecticut. He said, “I spend countless hours each week training and conditioning for my art. My passion often takes me away from being a “kid.” Due to the demands of my schedule it is rare that I can hang out with friends and participate in some of the activities I previously enjoyed (skiing, skating, skate boarding, etc.) I have to protect my legs.” His undeniable zest for dance, however, proves quickly that those sacrifices have merited him once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to achieve his dreams.
It was because of his rigorous schedule that McKoin came to Denver Online High School. With McKoin currently devoting Monday-Saturday to Russian/Vagonava training in Moscow, it is easy to see that a traditional brick-and-mortar school in the states was simply not an option for the passionate dancer. And he is not alone-a myriad of ballet dancers have joined Denver Online High School in order to more easily pursue their dance professions.
That’s what Denver Online High School is about: doing more. Online education provides an opportunity for students to DO MORE by affording them the time and location flexibility to complete school around their own powerfully unique lives.
Because while some of us might settle for the Macarena, others want to soar. At Denver Online High School, we strive to give students the opportunity to live out their dreams now. Opportunities that lead to compelling lives such as McKoin’s who gets to unquestionably say, “For me, ballet is who I am. It is my true passion.”