Year: Freshman
Hometown: Manhattan, New York
Major: Undecided
Street: How did you start dancing?
Emma Barchi: I started dancing when I was two years old. I don’t remember it, but one day I told my parents I needed ballet classes. I took a summer program and fell in love with it! Once that was over, I wanted to keep dancing at the school near me in Northern Virginia, but the school wouldn’t take anyone before they were three and I was only two. I told the teachers I would completely pay attention in class and I wouldn’t tell anyone I was only two, and they gave me a chance and let me come.
Street: What inspires you to dance? Do you have a favorite ballerina?
EB: For me, my own progress and improvement inspires me. I only become irritated and frustrated when I feel like I’m not moving forward, so as long as I’m making progress I feel very driven. Some of my favorite ballerinas are Svetlana Zakharova, Polina Semionova and Maria Kowroski. I always love watching them and of course they are very inspiring, but I’ve never been one to idolize specific dancers.
Street: What made you want to come to Penn?
EB: A year ago I still had no plans to come to college this year! Most dancers either don’t go to school or do it part–time, so I applied to schools my senior year to have a backup plan. When I was accepted to Penn, I decided to visit, partly just for fun and partly to see if I might want to go here in the future. But, once I was on campus, I fell in love with Penn. I still remember standing in the San Francisco Ballet hallway on the phone with my mom when she brought up the idea of going this year. That was the first time I ever even considered it.
Street: It must be really hard to be a ballerina and a full–time student, how do you do it?
EB: It has been really hard. I’m still doing full–time training on top of a full undergraduate class load, so a lot of times have been very hard and stressful. In December, the fullest week of “Nutcracker” rehearsals was also the week before my finals, so everyone from dance remembers me reading my Econ textbook in the dressing room between rehearsals. I’ve finished essays during intermissions, so it’s been a little crazy but so far I’ve been making it work!
Street: Would you say you’re more of a black swan or a white swan?
EB: I am absolutely more of a white swan! My dancing has always been very delicate and innocent, and I have always identified with the white swan much more. But I feel like college has given me a tiny little bit of a black swan side!
Street: Where do you see yourself after college?
EB: My goal is to dance professionally after school. I want to continue training through my next three years, and I plan on joining a company once I graduate. I would love to go home to Manhattan and dance there, but that will depend on which company I join.
