Ballerina dal American Repertory Ballet
My name is Shaye Firer and I am twenty years old. I was born in Cape Town, South Africa, though I have been living in Canada since I was six. I am currently dancing with American Repertory Ballet in Princeton, New Jersey. I met Sandra Holtzappel at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School (Professional Division) back around 2006 when she began teaching there but it wasn’t until the next year when she became one of two of my main teachers that I really realized how amazing and insightful a teacher she is and how caring and thoughtful a person. Sandra never stops trying to help you and better you as a dancer and her approaches are unique and intelligent. If you don’t understand a correction or how to do something the first time she explains it, she will make sure to find a way or an approach so that you can achieve fully what you want from your dancing. And she really cares about each and every single one of her students and truly wants them to succeed. She is always there for you. She helped to shape me into the dancer I am becoming and I will never forget her or what she has done for me. Sandra Holtzappel is an incredible teacher with the biggest heart and I hope that one day soon I get the opportunity to work with her again.
Foto: Bruce Monk