Charmaine is currently a Junior at Von Steuben High School in the scholar’s program and is participating in the dual-credit visual arts program through Columbia College. Her favorite subjects are art and dance, which allow her to express creativity and impact others in many different ways. This love of art started at a young age and fueled her passion for dance as she got older. Charmaine discovered her love of dance at the age of 12 during the covid pandemic, when she began teaching herself through watching and following along with ballet videos on youtube. She then had the opportunity to take a weekly ballet class at her local park district and discovered dance was something that she was passionate about, as it blended her love of art and listening to music. She has always been active and athletic, but never found her passion in other sports. Once Charmaine discovered dance she loved it because she was able to use her athleticism but make it graceful and beautiful. She was able to use dance as an outlet to express an array of different emotions through music and movement.

One year later, in the fall of 2022, she met Lizzie and discovered Extensions Dance Company through their summer program. She instantly knew it was a supportive and hardworking environment that would help her grow and achieve her full potential, especially after being awed by the grace, precision, and dedication of the other more advanced dancers. After one year of training in ballet, hip hop, contemporary, and jazz, she was offered a spot in Extensions Dance Company as a competitive dancer and is now in her third year as an Extensions company member. Her current favorite style is contemporary as she is drawn to its diverse movements and unique qualities, but she also continues to enjoy hip hop, jazz, lyrical, and ballet! Dance has also helped develop Charmaine’s personal growth in many areas such as increasing her confidence, developing a strong work ethic, learning to stay organized, and pursuing excellence. She is very appreciative of Lizzie and all of the faculty members for being so supportive of her dance journey. Charmaine is very excited to continue developing her love for dance and all of the many opportunities yet to come!