Nicole Liu, a sophomore at Lambert, is an invested dancer aspiring to be the best version of herself. Nicole dances at Morning Star Dance, where she recently had the opportunity to travel to Mexico for a dance competition. She was invited as a guest dancer and was able to watch the participants as well as have professional instruction.

Nicole has lots of other competitions coming up as well. Most famously, the annual Prix de Lausanne in Switzerland. The competition chose 8 female dancers from the United States, with a total of 80 dancers from all over the world. Nicole will travel to Switzerland in January to participate in this competition.

Nicole’s interest in dancing was sparked by watching ballet on the TV. When she was out with her family she saw a dance studio and wanted to try it out – a few successful lessons evolved into serious training. 

Nicole has been dancing for 8 years and it’s her favorite thing to do in her free time. Dancing at a prestigious level requires serious sacrifice, time commitment, and dedication. She practices 6-7 times a week, each practice being 3-4 hours long. 

The reason why Nicole dances is simple; it allows her to express herself. 

“Dance is a form of art that allows me to express myself and forget all my struggles,” Nicole explained. 

Her favorite kind of dance is ballet, coincidentally the one she’s practiced the longest. Nicole also loves ballet because it is the base of all other dance styles like contemporary and lyrical. 

Nicole has several role models that have encouraged her passion for dance. Her biggest inspiration is Maria Khoreva, a Russian dancer for the Mariinsky Theatre. Nicole loves the technique Maria uses when she dances and her dedication.

In order to succeed in dance, Nicole depends on her support system. Her family, friends, and 4,000+ fans on Instagram all encourage her to reach her full potential. 

“My family and friends, all the support is very uplifting and encouraging,” Nicole expressed.

Outside of her intensive dance schedule, Nicole also likes to bake and cook. She loves to bake for her family – banana bread being their favorite. Her love language is acts of service, so she likes to make her siblings lunch and breakfast.

With the support she receives, Nicole is able to balance her rigorous schedule of maintaining grades, succeeding in dance, while making time for her family and friends. 

Lambert is beyond proud of one of our own students attending the distinguished and exclusive Prix de Lausanne competition in Switzerland – good luck, Nicole!