Meet Sara Grassi: Professional dancer & university student

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

Hi Sara, do you disagree with some advice that is more or less universally accepted?
Virtue lies in the middle. It’s probably somewhere in between: hung, uncertain, imperfect, neither bottom nor top? This concept of virtue originates from natural selection; the primitive, rudimentary, empirical law of survival: the Darwinist descent CHECK with modification. In my opinion, the concept of adapting is too similar to the idea of contenting themselves. With one life at your disposal, how can you allow yourself not to give voice to your potential? Why must you force yourself behind a facade, having to reshape yourself to fit in the majority’s shoes? Why must you lose your integrity and principles and ideals for society? For what, for what purpose? It may happen out of revenge, when a caring individual discovers their attention will never be recognized or reciprocated from the other members of society. On the other hand, it may originate from every human’s natural desire to blend in with his neighbors, to feel accepted, included, integrated and not alone, perhaps? Why? Why can’t our ideals be the models to be faithful to? Everyone’s nature is consistent to itself. It is impossible to stop being who you are, even though you pretend to have changed. Moreover, why do you need to change? Because of the outside world, you may answer. The world? And why should you take the world as an example? Why should you copy it? The World that betrayed you, wounded you, who didn’t get you, and who nevertheless you want to adapt to? It doesn’t deserve it. Your core will always be untouchable, immutable and eternal: it will burn and scream inside you, trying to get out. Hence, let it shine and don’t extinguish the fire of what you know and feel as right: maybe the World doesn’t deserve your kindness, but you don’t need to lower down any steps to help them understand you.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
I’m a young dancer from a small town far away that is trying to follow her dreams, actually chasing them around the world. I was penalized in my artistic growth so many times due to my physical characteristics in audition or contest, I have not the typical ballet long line body: I’m thin but unluckily short, and I can’t really do anything for this, and, as all we know, the aesthetic aspect, mostly for ballet, is very important and is took into account. The dance world is also a very expensive one: you have to bear a lot of costs and many times a scholarship is not always available, mostly for the first year of a longer course of study. For example, when I was selected to join the academic year for the Bolshoi Academy, I had to decline, because, even if I asked for a scholarship, they answered me that it was not possible to allow it for the first year, but just in the future and obviously with very high grades. So just immagine how you could fill push and pulled by your own hart and passion. Follow that light, that scream from the deepest intimate part of your soul: it’s at once your frustration and your braveness to fight for what you want either way. So now, in someway, I’m here, in one of the biggest artistic Metropolis of the world, in The Big Apple; I’m almost graduated in the Peridance Center, during a world pandemic, I’m following projects and auditioning around. You just need to fight, always, just if it worth, if you think you deserve it for you and your well-being.

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?
I have never been there, but wherever in the world I think that the artistic and cultural part is the most moving and magical part of a new place to visit. It hold the concise summary of the city itself across history, so it’s perfect to start to connect with its core and start to have an idea of its own specific environment.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I met my historical teacher, my mentor, idol and second mother when I was 10. She’s Maria Grazia Sulpizi, now director of a dance school in Genoa, my hometown, called Formazione Danzarte. She accompanied me and followed me in my artistic, and not only, growth, up to the age of 19, she made me figured out how large and wonderful, varied and equally omnipotent the world of dance can be, through all its styles and techniques, and that the apparent fragility of ballet is actually imperishable, silent force, which does not need to feed on appearances, asks to be understood, is altruistic and gives all of itself, like pure and simple art. Thanks to her, I had the opportunity to join various experiences with many academic teachers from all over the world, as she was actually able to organize events over the years, giving me and to my classmates the opportunity to compare ourselves with very different realities from our small dance school.

Instagram: Saretta_503

Facebook: Sara Grassi (https://www.facebook.com/sara.grassi.1004 )

Image Credits
– for the ones with the blue background: Gianfortuna-Cristiano Castaldi (www.cristianocastaldi.it ) – for the ones outside with the Brooklyn Bridge as background: Emmanuel Maria Bruno