Meet Janis Bady, an accomplished dancer who benefits from the flexibility that PALCS offers as an online school. Bady is in 7th grade and also enrolled in the school’s CPFA program.
The Bady family moved from Bloomington, Minnesota to West Chester, Pennsylvania about 8 years ago. They joined PALCS when Janis was in first grade and her brother Jaremy was in 6th grade. Every year since, Janis has been on the honor roll! She loves science and history, and hanging with her friends at the dance studio.
Janis is the youngest of four siblings and the only girl in her family. “We are a very close family,” Mrs. Bady explains. “Growing up, Janis spent most of her time watching her older brothers play on football fields and basketball courts. She would tell me she never wants to play sports, so I was excited to introduce her to my joy – dancing,” Mrs. Bady continues.
Janis has been dancing since she was five years old. It began with tap, and now she takes ballet, jazz, lyrical, and hip hop classes. Between CPFA and the Balance Dance Center in Exton, she trains 15 hours each week.
Janis and her brother Jaremy have been training at Balance Dance Center for 7 years. They both are part of the BDC Junior Company and 1 Luv Hip Hop Crew. Both of these groups perform around the region in shows and community service. Janis also dances periodically at her church in West Chester. Altogether, she currently does about ten performances a year!
“She loves performing and when she dances she is carefree and her heart is full”, Mrs. Bady explains of her daughter’s passion. “Janis loves the creative process. She gives her all in rehearsals and embraces challenging combination. She will work until she gets it and doesn’t give up.”
Janis’ studio director recommended that she audition for the Ailey Summer Intensive. Auditions were held in about 15 cities across the United States for dancers with a minimum of three years’ ballet training. Janis auditioned in Philadelphia with 32 other 11 to 15-year-old students. Out of about 600 dancers who auditioned nationwide, Janis was accepted into the program!
This upcoming summer, she will dance at the Alvin Ailey School in New York City for 5 weeks, taking 15 classes each week. She will also learn and perform Ailey repertoire, signature pieces of the Ailey Dance Theater.
Having the chance to dance at the Alvin Ailey School is an amazing experience for Janis, that she just cannot give up! “Being a part of the Ailey program is a dream come true for me! When I dance, I feel like my best self. I can be anything – I can fly! Dance is the way I speak. Dance is the way I express joy. It’s the way I connect with other people. Without dance, I don’t know who I would be,” Janis explains.
Since the summer program requires a tuition cost and there are living expenses attached, Janis is raising money through working jobs, as well as a GoFundMe page, and holding a fundraising dance concert on April 27 at 6:30pm at Cornerstone Christian Fellowship Church in West Chester, PA.
Outside of PALCS and CPFA, Janis participates in Young Men and Women In Charge Foundation (YMWIC), an after school STEM and College Prep program in the region. She earned the 2018 YMWIC Foundation Scholar of the Year Award. She also helps with the Children’s ministry, and Video ministry at her church. Because of the flexibility that PALCS offers as an online school, Janis is able to pursue her passion.
Thank you so much to Janis’s mom, Janis Bady, for taking the time to answer our questions and sharing your story with us. We truly appreciate it, and are so excited for Janis’s amazing opportunity to dance at the Alvin Ailey School this summer! We are so incredibly proud of you, keep chasing your dreams!
