Senior Brianna Geist ’24 is fulfilling a dream. One that began at seven years old when she first auditioned for the iconic holiday ballet, The Nutcracker. Not only has she achieved her goal of starring as the Sugar Plum Fairy, but she will perform the role for the SECOND time this weekend with the Schuylkill Valley Regional Dance Company.

“Dance is a huge part of my life,” Geist stated. “I love the freedom and the variety that dance gives you. I love getting ready for dance, I love spending time at the studio. I also love the competition and the music. The environment can become stressful at times with general tensions of who is better and trying to move up levels of competition, but I feel that I am learning from better dancers all the time by doing my best and trying to emulate their work ethic.”

Geist’s own work ethic is impressive. Not only is she managing classes at GA, she trains six, sometimes seven days a week at her dance studio, and participates in Belfry Club productions (Newsies, The Winter's Tale, and the upcoming Ride the Cyclone), all while filling out college applications. She credits GA for teaching her strong time management skills. 

“Trying to fit in homework time and hanging out a little with my family is challenging,” said Geist. “I have given up a lot of social events for my craft, but I don’t regret any of that. It’s a big commitment and one I have loved every second.”

While some may say dance looks easy, Geist will tell you it’s anything but. Fortunately, the hours of training have left her with great coordination, strength, flexibility, and balance – attributes that are not only beneficial for physical health, but also contribute to overall good mental health.

“One of the hardest parts of dance is to just keep going,” Geist stated. “No matter if you have a bad turn or fall flat on your backside, it has to be okay, and you have to get up and do it again. It’s a lot of effort to continue to push back failure and setbacks, especially when you get hurt. A lot of people think that dance is just technique, but the art of dance is a whole other genre. It’s like writing a paper; the font, the heading, the title – everything comes together as one to tell a story on the stage.”

Geist is excited about putting the story of The Nutcracker on the stage once again. She enjoys watching dancers who can breathe life into their characters and is confident she will bring that type of energy to create a memorable and impactful performance.