Kelley Potter

Company class from 9:45 - 11:15. Rehearsal 11:30 - 2:30. Lunch 2:30 - 3:30. Rehearsal 3:30 - 6:30. That's a non-performance day in the life of Boston Ballet's Kelley Potter.

A native of Kernersville, North Carolina, Kelley studied at the North Carolina School for the Arts for nine years. Among her many wonderful teachers there, she credits Melissa Hayden and Nina Danilova as especially influential. Kelley also studied at her hometown studio, Susan's Dance Unlimited, where she enjoyed tap, modern, and a variety of styles that she feels contributed to making her a well-rounded dancer.

Kelley was accepted at prestigious New York University, and had planned to attend. But when offered a job at American Ballet Theatre's Studio Company she decided to defer college in favor of full-time dancing. She loved her time with ABT's Studio Company. They performed in London, Ireland, New York and throughout the United States. She enjoyed great cameraderie with the rest of the company and continued to grow as a dancer under John Meehan and Clinton Luckett.

The Boston Ballet invited her to join in 2002 and Kelley has been loving her new city, new company and new roles. Kelley likes to act as well as dance, so she particularly enjoys Don Quixote with its opportunities to portray different characters. She would love to do the big dramatic parts someday such as Odette/Odile and Juliet.

She has plenty of opportunities to dance, and thrives on the challenges. In The Nutcrcaker for example, she dances "Arabian", "Spanish", "Marzipan", demi-solist in "Waltz of the Flowers", corps de ballet in "Snow" and a parent in the party scene.

When her deferment at New York University expired Kelley had to decide between college and dancing. She has chosen to dance but will continue her education at night school. The Boston area has so many colleges and universities that Kelley has plenty of options. She is interested in pursuing English language and literature, studying different cultures, and learning French.

Kelley has worn Gaynor Minden pointe shoes continuously since her earliest student days and greatly enjoys their comfort. She appreciates being free of blisters and bruised toenails, and she likes having her shoes, as she puts it, "last forever".

Her suggestions for aspiring dancers are, "Never give up. Take it one day at a time." She says, "Don't forget what it's all about," that dance is self-expression and a form of "freedom of speech". "Do it for the love of dance."

Photo: Clay Bolick