“From Preteen to Professional – How Ballet Changed Her Life” Audio interview edited by Samantha Irgang
Not many can say they’ve experienced the professional world of ballet and the college atmosphere, but my friend Isabella Vari says otherwise.
Vari is currently a sophomore at Loyola University of Chicago studying chemistry. However, college was not her first choice.
Her journey in ballet had a late start compared to other students since she officially started dancing at the age of 12. Her motives to dance were pushed by health concerns.
Photo by Samantha Irgang
The Spider Bite – Reflex Sympathetic Dystrophy (RSD)
“When I was 11, I had a really horrible neurological disorder disease that was triggered by a spider bite,” Vari stated.
This disease led to her being in the hospital for 5 weeks and she was unable to walk. However, Cleveland Clinic cured this rare disorder.
“When I was finally able to walk again and move again, I remember turning to my mom and being like ‘I have to do something where I use my body’,” Vari stated. “Like I was so grateful to move again that I just had to do something where I was moving.”
After this incident, Vari began her journey in ballet at the Ohio Conservatory Ballet until she was 15.
The Ballet Journey Begins
Basic positions in ballet Infographic made by Samantha Irgang – Source: BalletHub
While dancing at Ohio Conservatory, Vari mentioned that she was able to meet one of the most impactful instructors she’s ever had. His name was Dmitriy Tuboltsev.
“He [Tuboltsev] was actually really special to me because he trained in Russia at the top ballet school in the world…I could not have been more lucky,” Vari stated. “I started doing private lessons with Dmitriy almost every day of the week. He really trained me quite well and he prepared me for the professional field and I don’t think that I would’ve been where I was if not for him.”
Isabella Vari with Dmitriy Tuboltsev Photo from Vari’s Instagram
After working with Tuboltsev and heightening her abilities, she moved to Boston to dance at Boston Ballet School (BBS) while living on her own.
Although her time was not as memorable at Boston, she was still able to grow and eventually moved to Pennsylvania at 17 and danced at, according to Vari, one of the top training schools in the world.
Central Pennsylvania Youth Ballet (CPYB) has a number of well-known instructors in the ballet community and rigorously trains their young students.
Photo by Samantha Irgang
“They work you like 10 hours a day, 7 days a week and it’s very much like a sink or swim mentality, but they create some very strong athletes,” Vari stated.
When she danced at CPYB, Vari has featured in Nutcracker, Swan Lake, and Sleeping Beauty through the school.
When it was time for Vari to graduate from CPYB at the age of 20, she received long-time job offers from Ballet Arizona, Oklahoma City Ballet, Cincinnati Ballet, Pennsylvania Ballet, and Ballet Austin in Texas.
“One of the most memorable moments for me was when there were about 420 people going into the audition and I was 1 of 4 that was left at the end,” Vari stated. “That was very rewarding for me.”
The Career-Ending Injury
However, Vari was unfortunately unable to continue this career due to a dramatic injury that she stated “doctors have never seen before”.
Vari’s fracture in her foot Photo from Vari’s Instagram
“The thing that was very difficult for me is that after my auditions were all over, I went home…,” Vari stated. “…and so I went home for spring from Pennsylvania to Boston after I had sprained my ankle multiple times in the auditions and I thought I would just be in a boot for a few weeks and be fine. I went home and that’s when I learned how horrific of a fracture was in my foot.”
According to Vari’s doctors, she had broken the base of her second metatarsal. However, after rolling the same ankle multiple times and not properly treating the injury, the two bones grew apart from each other and resulted in the bone dying.
Doctor removing cast from Vari’s foot Photo from Vari’s Instagram
Many questioned her ability to even walk again as doctors said the bone in her foot was “dying from the inside out”, but a successful surgery and months of physical therapy had her walking again.
Vari is grateful to say that she was able to experience this world of ballet and now begin a career towards chemistry in another.
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