Southern California teenager and ballerina Bryn Watkins to star in Cinderella at Irvine Barclay Theatre
Mom Dana shares memories of raising a daughter destined to dance

15-year-old Bryn Watkins can’t quite recall the exact moment she fell in love with ballet because as long as she can remember, she’s been dancing. “I’ve always danced and I don’t know how not to dance,” she says. “I suppose that means somewhere along the way I fell in love with it but I think that’s just always been.” Indeed, ballet has been a big part of her life since she was a little three-year-old attending “mommy and me” dance classes. Today, she practices anywhere from 20 hours to 30 hours a week—all while balancing school, volunteering as the pianist for her church choir and trying to be a “normal” teenager. Bryn’s hard work has paid off; as a member of the Maple Youth Ballet, she has performed in a few productions, including the Nutcracker, Diamonds 2.5, Balanchine’s Valse Fantasie and Balanchine’s Serenade. This April, she’ll dance the lead in the classic fairytale Cinderella at the Irvine Barclay Theatre for one day on Saturday, April 3, 2010 at 1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.

Bryn credits the support of her family, particularly her mom, with her success. “My mom has been integral in my development as a dancer. She always reminds me to ‘dance with joy’,” says Bryn. “When she was young, she was an avid dancer herself, and I feel privileged to continue her dream through my own endeavors.”

L.A. Kid Stuff asked Bryn’s mom Dana Watkins to share her memories and experiences fostering a love of dance and raising a little toddler into a successful ballerina. 

Here’s Bryn’s mom, in her own words:

I have a photo, taken when she was about three years old, of Bryn dressed in a little pink leotard and tutu, and holding the first nutcracker in her (currently huge) collection. Below the photo I wrote, “Bryn wants to be Clara someday.” Like many little girls, Bryn loved to dance, dress up in tutus and tiaras, and pretend to be a ballerina. However, unlike most of those little girls, Bryn’s interest in ballet never flagged or waned, and her talent was apparent early on. From the time she started real ballet classes—at age 5 or 6—she had a phenomenal teacher who is something of a legend in Orange County: Helen Clarke.

Miss Helen taught Bryn for several years (5? 6?) and Bryn continues to drop in to take an open class from her whenever she can fit it in. Bryn really caught the ballet bug under Miss Helen’s tutelage, and from then on there was no stopping her. When Bryn was 11 years old, her old studio folded, and she made the move to Ballet Pacifica. It was there that she caught the eye of David Allen, who directed the Nutcracker, and suddenly, at age 12, Bryn was living her longtime dream of dancing the role of Clara. Subsequently, Ballet Pacifica folded, and Charles Maple rescued the “orphaned” dancers and gave them a wonderful, secure new home.

Bryn has danced in productions of Coppelia, Nutcracker, and numerous other ballets, most recently appearing as the Snow Queen and Mirliton in Nutcracker. She has been named a semifinalist in the Music Center Spotlight competition for the second year in a row. She has been offered a full scholarship to Ballet West Academy, and has received scholarship offers from other institutions as well.

As for her dreams and goals: It’s simple. Bryn wants to dance. She is most alive when she is dancing. She never tires of it, she never complains about the time it takes (although she does regret that her social life is so compromised; she wears a t-shirt that says: “I can’t. I have rehearsal.”) Most of all, she is always willing to put in the work necessary to get better, to get that extra fouette or two inches of extension.

Outside of ballet, Bryn is also an accomplished pianist. She has taken piano for about 7 years, and although she doesn’t put in the practice time on the piano that she should, she’s pretty darn good. She is an honors student carrying a full load of AP and honors classes at El Modena High School, and she gets up early every morning for a 6:30 a.m. religion class. And she doesn’t get enough sleep. And of course, she dreams of the day she will get her driver’s license—although figuring out when she will have the time to go to Driver’s Ed is a conundrum. So in many respects, she is a normal teenager. It is only when she puts on her tights and toe shoes that you realize she is anything but.

Cinderella

Maple Youth Ballet
Irvine Barclay Theatre
4242 Camps Drive, Irvine, 92612
Saturday, April 3, 2010
1:30 p.m. and 6:30 p.m.
Ages: All
Cost: $28 adults; $22 children and seniors
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