Ellie Seid is a senior Lancer Dancer at Carlsbad High school. Seid has been dancing since she was young and has aspirations to dance in college at Penn State University. She works hard to balance dance and school and continues to excel in both.
Q: How did you get into dance?
A: When I was really little my mom was looking for sports to put me in so I was active, and she grew up dancing. She figured that she put me in dance classes and I’ve just been doing it ever since.
Q: What does a typical week look like for you?
A: A typical week with dance consists of a lot of hard work on top of school and practices. I’m at Carlsbad [High School] from 8:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. everyday. Dance practices vary in length depending on the day, depending on the week. If it’s an odd week I have 7 hours of dance a week not including extra practice that’s just in dance periods. Then Saturdays we’ve been having our 6-8 hour practices which is like 9:30 to 3:30 or 9:00 to 7:00 those are always brutal but in a typical week we have about 16 hours of just straight practices and outside of that I also have studio so it’s pretty much dancing 25 hours a week.
Q: How do you balance dance and school?
A: I always try my best to put an equal amount of effort into both all day. While dance takes up more time, it’s important to put the same amount of effort that I put into dance into my academics. Not only do I find it to be important to be a well-rounded dancer but also a well- rounded student.
Q: What do you love most about dance?
A: I like how accomplished I feel after I learn a new skill or anything that helps me progress. I like how confident I feel in myself. I feel like with a different sport, it’s very elementary, like you learn to kick a ball, you kick it into the goal, that’s it. That’s your sport. But in dance there’s so many different technical elements and different skills you have to perfect that once you’ve checked off the box you just feel so accomplished in yourself.
Q: What is the biggest challenge you’ve faced in your dance career?
A: The biggest challenge I faced in my dance career is maintaining my health. I find with dance it’s super easy just to forget about your own health and put your well-being to the side. Getting the right amount of sleep, eating right and fueling your body with the right stuff. I find it super easy to just chug a energy drink in the morning and call it a day. With dance, it’s a very demanding sport, so it’s very important to fuel your body the right way.
Q: How has Carlsbad High School played a role in your success?
A: Without Carlsbad [High School] I don’t think I would be where I am today. It’s provided me with many opportunities that I would have had if I had gone to a different school. I think that the CHS dance program is one of the best in the world and it’s provided me with many memories. I’ve grown not only as a dancer but as a person as well here.
Q: Who is your biggest role model and why?
A: My mom is definitely my biggest role model because she’s gone through the same stuff that I have. Whenever I’m feeling down or need some sort of guidance I always look at her because she’s been through the dance world. She’s danced at the pro level and whenever I need help with technique, or even just motivation, I can always turn to her and know that she’ll have the right answer.
Q: What is your inspiration?
A: My inspiration is not giving up on myself because I know that I’m capable of so much and I don’t want to give up. I know that if I told 5 -year-old me that I’d be dancing in college she would be over the moon and I don’t want to give up just for her. I’ve always wanted to prove to myself that I’m capable of more than I think I am.
