SYRACUSE, N.Y. (WSYR-TV)- 13-year-old Nataniel Taylor from Syracuse is attending Boston Ballet, which is one of the top five ballet schools in the country.
Taylor left on Friday and will be in Boston for five weeks. He’s worked six years to accomplish something like this and said auditions were no walk in the park. “It was really hard because they paired me up with older people, but I kept up.”
Taylor is a Black dancer. His instructor, Charles Haislah says that’s one of the many things that makes Taylor rare.
“What I find very unique about this is really actually is being from Syracuse and getting into this school as a young man and as a young black man,” he expressed how proud he is of his student.
Throughout his several months of teaching Taylor, Haislah said he feels most comfortable in the studio.
“When you enter a ballet studio there’s nothing to overcome, you know once you’re here and once you submit to the art, you’re in this studio and this has been his safe space,” said Haislah.
Taylor will be perfecting his technique, but he’ll also learn some valuable lessons.
“This is like going to give him an idea of what it’s like to be a professional, to be away from home, to do his own laundry and a level of independence, ballet students have a tendency to mature sooner,” Haislah added.
Taylor’s family has set up a GoFundMe page has been set up to help with costs:
