Katja

Katja is a passionate creature, known for throwing herself 110% into things. Some might call her obsessive, maybe even crazy. She prefers to think of herself as dedicated. That said, she readily admits to being a little crazy, which makes her new(ish) city of residence, New York, a perfect fit for her.

It’s Katja’s latest obsession, ballet, that is largely to blame for her recent silence. Although Katja has always been a fan of dance and a regular performance-goer, it was during her last few years in DC that she found her free time largely taken over by all things dance (well, mostly late nights out with her Washington Ballet friends). So, upon moving to New York, Katja decided to check out New York’s substantial adult ballet scene. She had grown rather bored of her seemingly endless daily cardio sessions, and figured that if she enjoyed the company of dancers maybe she should give ballet a try herself.

Katja thus found her way to the Joffrey Ballet School and braved her first ballet class. She was relieved to find that she was far from the oldest (or most awkward) student. And despite the fact that she had no idea what she was doing, she loved it, and made her way back to the studio the following week. It wasn’t long before she was hooked, and soon she was spending much of her time at Ballet Arts, BAE and the Joffrey, trying to figure out how to squeeze in a few hours of work between classes (it’s all about priorities…).

Of course Katja should have known that any activity where she gets to sweat while wearing skirts and tights, her two wardrobe staples, would be ideal for her. That said, it’s legwarmers with which she’s developed an obsession, and she’s amassed quite a collection…she likes to think of herself as the reigning adult beginner ballet fashionista. Katja knows she may never be the most graceful of dancers, but she loves her classes and looks forward to them each day (always hoping there'll be more jumping than turning). She’s also met a lot of great people, along with some rather crazy and bizarre characters, even by New York standards. But then those do make for the best stories…

P. S. Lest you think she’s become too focused on ballet and turned rather dull, Katja assures you she’s still her old party-girl self. Although she works consistently to improve her technique, and certainly has no desire to bulge out of her leotard, she knows a life without treats is not a life well lived. So when she’s not working hard, hoping one day she’ll actually manage a decent pirouette (or proper chaine turns for that matter), she can be found sharing treats and/or drinks (usually too many) with her friends.