Slippery Rock Ballerina

Photo Provided by: Eden Gade

Beginning dance at the age of three, Eden Gade first attended Lee's School of Dance located in Butler, Pennsylvania until the age of 16. She began taking ballet more seriously when she was 13 when she attended her first summer intensive in North Carolina. While still living at home she attended (during the summer) at Boston Ballet, New York City’s ballet school of American Ballet Summer Program, American Ballet Theatre, and Miami City Ballet. At the age of 16, while most teenagers are learning how to drive, Gade was learning to further her ballet training. She made the decision to move to Boston, and was a pre professional student at Boston Ballet for three years.

(Video Provided by: Eden Gade)

 There, she had the opportunity to perform in The Nut Cracker, and many other productions. After her three years in Boston, she moved to Orlando and attended Orlando Ballet and was a trainee there. Unfortunately, the year that she was at Orlando Ballet, 

A photo taken from her Instagram.

she received an injury. Due to her injury, she decided to pursue her education in physical therapy by attending Slippery Rock

Eden in a performace.

University. Her time at Boston Ballet and Orlando Ballet allowed her to receive many accomplishments. She was able to experience performing in many productions, including the Nut Cracker, and a not so traditional piece called Vampire’s Ball, and Hansel and Gretel. Gade was also rewarded with many scholarships to study at Boston Ballet, and Miami City Ballet. While dancing at Lee's School of Dance, her mother offered to work for the dance company so she could dance for free. Gade as three older sisters and each one of them danced as well. Her mother was supportive in helping her daughter succeed. She claims her dad was a little skeptical of her moving away, but only because she is the baby of the family and was the last one to leave. It was however, the fact that her older sisters dance, that inspired her to dance as well. At the age of 13, she was given the opportunity to help student teach at Lee's School of Dance. 
However, since she did move to Boston at the age of 16, she had to finish her high-school education online and unfortunately missed out on activities with the friends she left behind. She was excited that she did attend prom though! She jokes saying, "I didn't have a high-school sweetheart or anything so I didn't have to worry about leaving a guy behind." Some other difficulties she had to overcome, other than her injury and moving away, with ballet was as she said, "Ballet was never easy, it was something you definitely needed to have a passion for." She had to train six to seven days a week for 8-9+ hours. Also all the pressure that gets into a dancer's head of having to be a certain image and to be a perfectionist. 

However, the steps she has taken, the opportunities she has experienced, and the obstacles she has overcome has put her in the right direction she needs for her future.