YoungArts winner Sophia Xiao balances her dreams en pointe

By Web Editor Scarlett Huang & Staff Writer Cecilia Cheng

It is under the harsh fluorescence of spotlights and isolation that dreams begin to take form, and it is under those bright, cold lights that ballet dancer Junior Sophia Xiao finds her home. This year, Xiao continues to own the stage, winning one of the most nationally acclaimed recognitions for any young artist in America — the YoungArts award.

At five years old, Xiao joined Yoko’s Dance Studio, where she discovered an innate love and talent for dance. Since then, she has never stopped building on this passion, nurturing it with the support of her family in addition to a powerful drive to become the best version of herself. Beginning in elementary school, Xiao participated in numerous competitions. Even before she entered high school, she placed impressively at nationally acclaimed competitions like The Dance Awards, New York City Dance Alliance, and Youth America Grand Prix, allowing her to grow accustomed to the difficulties of performance.

Competitive dance is — by virtue of the sport — a harsh, cutthroat practice. To Xiao, the combative and subjective nature of competition is an unavoidable part of her dance career, yet it conflicts with what dance means to her. This is why she carved out an unique and difficult path for herself — creating a future that prioritized performance over competition. At 14, she auditioned and was accepted with a full scholarship into City Ballet San Francisco, a highly prestigious and competitive pre-professional ballet school where she has been studying throughout high school. By attending, Xiao balances an intense preprofessional dance education with the academic rigor of high school, forcing her to cultivate a strict work ethic. Her days mostly consist of hour-long trips between MSJ and San Francisco, squeezing in time during commutes to study and complete homework. Yet, it all becomes worth it when she fully embodies her stage character, even if she’s performing a rendition of the Nutcracker for the tenth year in a row. When she steps onto stage, it isn’t Sophia Xiao that glows under the lights, but the graceful limbs of the Snow Queen. Her immersion only confirms that her heart lies with performance. “I think ballet is just what I’m meant to do,” Xiao said. 

Unfortunately, when you put your whole heart into something, you risk as much as you gain. Throughout her life, Xiao has struggled with the self-doubt that comes with such an environment — scrutinizing her body and skills under the strict standards that ballerinas often conform to. “Everyone has the image of a perfect ballerina, and I’m definitely not it. Sometimes, I’ll feel like I’m not good enough, or I just don’t belong,” Xiao said. Still, Xiao knows art will never award uniformity, and constantly seeks inspiration from those who have overcome the same obstacles: people like Marianela Núñez. Despite not having the stereotypically perfect body for ballet, Núñez is still widely recognized as an “one of the best ballerinas in the world.” Her influence has helped Xiao manage her insecurities and turn her focus to improving as a dancer. 

Despite her past self-doubt, to Xiao, who lives a life wrapped in silken ribbons balanced en pointe, dance has become an inseparable part of both her life and her identity. In the art of dance, Xiao finds freedom, expression, and a comforting precision. “I think ballet, it’s more about technique, how you work, there’s distinct rules that go along with ballet; for other styles, it’s more free … I try not to think too much about the steps or doing everything perfectly, because a lot of it comes from your artistry and your emotion.” Xiao said. 

Winning YoungArts has served as yet another sign to keep going, reinforcing her faith in her own passion, but more importantly representing how far she has come as an artist. Past high school, Xiao hopes to continue to dance for the rest of her life, whether that means joining a professional dance company for a few years or attending adult dance classes. To those with aspirations just as large, and a will just as strong as herself, Xiao has a few words of advice: “I think just be genuine with what you do. If you really like it, I think you’ll get really far; don’t hold yourself back by telling yourself that you can’t do it. Everything is possible, as long as you work for it.”