Alessa Meni, 14, of West Windsor will perform with the American Ballet Theater’s (ABT) production of “Le Corsaire – Jardin Animee” from Tuesday to Saturday, May 26 through May 30, in New York City. Tickets are available at www.metoperafamily.org for $26 to $175.##M:[more]##
A freshman at High School North, she dances 14 hours a week — 10 hours at Princeton Dance and Theater in Plainsboro and four hours on Sundays at American Tap Dance Foundation at Lincoln Center in New York City.
When the family moved to West Windsor in 2002 Meni studied tap, jazz, and ballet at the Dance Corner. She has since performed with the ABT in “Le Corsaire” in 2008 and was recently performed Petite Rose in DanceVision’s production of “The Secret Garden,” as well as in “The Nutcracker” last December.
Meni will attend ABT’s Summer Intensive-Bermuda. A member of American Tap Dance Foundation’s Tap City Youth Ensemble in New York City, Meni will also perform on Thursday and Friday, July 9 and 10, at Symphony Space in New York City with “Tap City, The NYC Tap Festival.”
“I’m hooked on dancing and have a passion for dancing instead of sports,” she says. “Dancing brings me a lot of joy but I have also found challenges that I’ve had to face and overcome — fear of auditions, stage fright, and insecurities. It’s also intimidating dancing next to professional stars.”
