Meet Ava Ramirez | Student in Professional Division at Houston Ballet Academy

We had the good fortune of connecting with Ava Ramirez and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Ava, do you have some perspective or insight you can share with us on the question of when someone should give up versus when they should keep going?
I think the factor that determines whether or not you should keep going or give up is whether something makes you happy and brings you joy. As a dancer, ballet is not always easy and there are some days that are harder than others. Some days we are tired and some days things are frustrating but ultimately there is nothing that I would rather be doing than training. I feel so lucky to be able to chase this dream. I think as dancers go along in their training, there are encouraging people and opportunities that help us to keep our head in the game and work harder each day.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I just turned 15 and I am in my 2nd year of the Professional program at Houston Ballet Academy. My dream is to be a professional ballet dancer with Houston Ballet. I started dancing when I was two because my mom is a ballet teacher, and my dad was a professional ballet dancer. I got really serious about training around the age of seven and started doing ballet competitions, which I think really helped me to push myself. I left home to attend the Rock School in Philadelphia when I was 12 and then came to Houston Ballet Academy full-time when I was 13. I think that as a dancer I am fairly well-rounded and have something to say with my dancing. I try to be both an artist and a technician. I want to do the steps really cleanly but I also try to have a spark and a quality that makes me interesting to watch. Houston Ballet has so many dancers for us to look up to. I really love watching Beckanne Sisk, Tyler Donatelli, Jacquelyn Long, and Allison Whitley. They each have exquisite technique and are incredibly captivating because of their artistry and storytelling.

I dont think any part of being a pre professional dancer or professional dancer is easy. Even things that come naturally for me like pirouettes or large jumps, can always improve. We can always jump higher, turn with more control, have better placement, have more precise arms…the list goes on. Ballet is a never ending quest for perfection and sometimes that is really hard mentally. Ballet is also very competitive and if you let yourself worry about other people I think that blocks you from being your best. I try to just focus on myself , what I can bring to the room and how I can keep improving and pushing. I try really hard to be an example and a leader as well.

Along the way I have learned a lot and have a lot more to learn. One notable thing I have learned is to go where you are wanted and valued. I think letting go of things that are not meant for you and embracing what is is one of the biggest lessons ballet has taught me. I am so happy to have found a home here in Houston and am thankful for my teachers Mrs. Busch, Mrs. Bryant, and Mrs. Kelly.

Any places to eat or things to do that you can share with our readers? If they have a friend visiting town, what are some spots they could take them to?
My best friend Anabelle is a girl who I actually met at Houston Ballet Summer Intensive and she lives in Ohio. If she came to Houston for a week we would have tea at The Little Hen and go to LoveShackFancy Houston and walk around River Oaks District. We would definitely go see Houston Ballet perform at the Wortham Theatre and go to Post for a treat after. I think we would walk to Discovery Green and get a snack from the vendors there and definitely have coffee at Day 6 several times. I also would want to take her to an Astros game because they are so much fun! We would probably rent Electric Scooters and go down to the Bayou and Scooter.

Shoutout is all about shouting out others who you feel deserve additional recognition and exposure. Who would you like to shoutout?
Training in a full-time program with the staff at Houston Ballet and dancing next to the talented teenagers that are my classmates is something that is such a dream. I’m so thankful for where I am today. I think my teachers at home in South Carolina, Mariclare Miranda and William Starrett, really helped prepare me for this step. They trusted me from 8-12 years old to tour with the professional company and perform on so many stages since the professional company normally tours to about 10 places in the Fall with Nutcracker and Dracula. Having to manage my schedule as a child on tour with a professional company included taking class with the company on stage and rehearsing in each different theatre. Having the opportunity to reprise lead roles and grow through a role for multiple seasons as a child is pretty rare and I really think this helped prepare me to compete and find success at YAGP and ADCIBC Ballet competitions.

I first attended Houston Ballet Summer Intensive on scholarship in 2022 at 12 years old and fell in love with the program, Houston, and the teachers. The training here at Houston Ballet Academy is very detailed and challenging. The teachers expect a lot of us and push us every day. I am also really grateful to my family because they sacrificed a lot for me to be here in Houston instead of home in South Carolina. I am thankful they allow me to pursue my dreams and support me. My mom has always given everything for me to be able to pursue my ballerina dreams. She also coached me and would take me anywhere I wanted to go to compete or train. She was always there and would make sure I was rehearsed and ready to do my best.

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Image Credits
Professional Photos by Rhi Lee