The Art of the Dance
Beautiful Gracefulness. From Fouetté turns to Sauté jumps, senior Abby Pausley of The Dance Connection effortlessly leaps across the Sami Center stage in breathtaking beauty. Her passion for dance, especially ballet, is evident to any observer and one reason she was excited to join the Texas Ballet Theater School in Dallas/Ft. Worth, Texas in early January.
Very few ballet dancers are asked to join a ballet program, but after years of attending summer intensives at American Midwest Ballet in Omaha, Colorado Ballet in Denver and Texas Ballet Theater, Abby’s dream came true when she became one of 25 dancers in the Texas Ballet Theater’s Pre-Professional Division. Her dedication and love of dance has provided this opportunity. Now, combined with continued hard work, her goal is to work her way up in the program or into other troupes around the country.
“I fell in love with ballet when I was in fourth grade, after I was a part of the Nutcracker,” Abby reflected. “I love everything that encompasses ballet and how you can express yourself with dance and music.”
Abby started ballet in second grade, as well as tap and jazz, lyrical, modern, and hip-hop. She specifically remembers her first ballet class with renowned ballet instructor Tracy Johnson.
“I fell in love with ballet when I was in fourth grade, after I was a part of the Nutcracker.”
– Abby
It's been 12 years since Abby first stepped into a ballet class at Dawn’s Dance Connection, what is now The Dance Connection. She’s learned a lot about herself in the studio and on the stage and how much of dance involves mental discipline and recognizing the beauty within the discipline.
“Dance let’s me be me and I love finding beauty in the hard work but also in how ballet calms me down and is a form of therapy,” Abby said.
Ballet wasn’t an instant connection for the December 2025 Okoboji graduate; she said it took time for it to click and understand how different moves take place, “There was one year where the window just became clear and I realized I was overthinking. When it clicked and just started to dance, I fell in love with ballet even more.”
Tracy remembered that year and how she watched Abby transform as a dancer. “Abby had one specific ballet move she struggled with; she just couldn’t do it, but like with any dancer, you keep encouraging and helping them understand with hard work that click will take place,” Tracy recalled.
Abby has had the opportunity to be a part of The Dance Connection since she was 7, as well as dance in the Iowa Great Lakes’ biennial Nutcracker in partnership with American Midwest Ballet. She was especially honored with the role of Clara when she was 15 and joined the troupe on pointe in the snow scene in 2024. These opportunities gave her the confidence to regularly audition in the National Summer Intensive Tour, allowing her to perform in front of a collective of professional ballet schools and provided opportunities to gain immense knowledge at three different ballet companies the past four summers.
“You go in with a bunch of other girls you don’t know and then you see all these directors watching you. You are asked to perform different ballet steps and combinations, and then if they like what they see, they will invite you to their program,” She explained.
Abby was accepted into a number of summer programs, and in eighth grade, she decided to stay more local and spent two summers at American Midwest Ballet in Omaha. Ballet instructors come from around the world to these summer intensives, as well as during the year. The following summer was spent dancing at Colorado Ballet in Denver, and the past two years, she attended Texas Ballet Theater.
These summer experiences showed her how much she loved Texas Ballet and everything the company stands for. This is why she chose them to continue her ballet education.
“I truly love everything they represent and how they choose artistry over anything. They are also big on body positivity and have an uplifting environment,” she said. “Texas Ballet felt like a family and I’m enjoying being surrounded by other dancers who are passionate about the art as much as I am.”
Regular classes are given in ballet, pointe, variations, jazz classes and contemporary. There are a number of performances throughout the year, but Abby especially loves how the one show that initially drew her into ballet, The Nutcracker, is performed in downtown Dallas/Ft. Worth every Christmas.
Hard Work Makes Dreams Come True
In preparation for Abby’s move to Texas, Tracy, who recently retired as ballet mistress of Dawn’s Dance Connection, met with Abby several days a week over the fall, focusing on new variations. Abby is appreciative of all her dance instructors at the studio throughout the years, but especially Tracy, Dawn Fisher and now studio owner Maddie Nabuco Freitas.
“They all have complemented each other and helped me become a better dancer in different ways. Most of all, they have never doubted my ability or my big dreams. Rather, they pushed me farther and have always been super supportive,” Abby shared. “My desire is to share my gift with others and eventually want to teach it.”
She added that despite coming from a small town, it’s imporant you don’t let a challenge keep you from achieving goals and dreams. “From a young age, a lot of other young dancers in bigger cities spend much of their day pursuing ballet and dance dreams. I’ve had much fewer hours than they have throughout the years and they are amazed, but it goes to show the strength of the teachers we have here. It also means putting in a lot of personal hard work on the side.”
Abby has also had the opportunity to be a substitute teacher for some of the younger classes at The Dance Connection and her advice to any dancer is to always be respectful of the dance form. “If you respect it, it will respect you back. Don’t slouch your shoulders, be confident and always be willing to learn and take positive corrective criticism. Listen to what the teacher says, watch yourself in the mirror and be positive with yourself throughout the learning process.”
Most of all, Abby is so grateful for the community and how the entire Iowa Great Lakes has encouraged her to pursue her dreams. “Whether at school, on the stage or working at Maxwell’s during the summer, everyone is always so excited for me and encouraging me to dream big,” she shared. “I’m truly blessed!”