Aesha Ash spent most of her life ballet dancing and even turned it into a career as a member of the New York City Ballet. As much as she loved to dance, she found the weight of her obligation heavy because she was often the only African American ballerina (芭蕾舞女演员) in her classes and company.
After retiring from ballet in 2007. Aesha enjoyed the quiet life for about ten years before she decided to come back to ballet, but in a completely new way. She started The Swan Dreams Project that helps kids in poor areas get into the world of ballet. Aesha set up a one-week camp that invited kids to not only learn the basics of ballet, but also get an introduction to French (since she says it is “the language of ballet”).
Her first camp was in 2018 in a poor neighborhood in New York. When she arrived, she was greeted by dozens of students, most of whom were African Americans. She wanted to help kids who otherwise might not have ever had the chance to live in the world of ballet.
On the final day of camp, after a week of learning, the students put on a final performance for their family and friends. Before the performance, Aesha said she was nervous that it would be less of a performance and more of a mess, since the campers were all between 8 and 11 years old. Much to her surprise, it turned out to be perfect. She said. “When we went out to our first circle and the kids began counting in French and performing the steps they had just learned, my heart melted.”
Aesha continues to do whatever she can to help kids learn ballet. She found a way to turn that seemingly unbearable weight she once carried around into something good for kids, as well as for the world of ballet.
1. What does the underlined word in Paragraph 1 probably mean? (1 word)2. When did Aesha decide to start The Swan Dreams Project? (no more than 10 words)
3. Where was Aesha’s one-week camp first held? (no more than 10 words)
4. Why was Aesha surprised on the final day of her first camp? (no more than 10 words)
5. What kind of person is Aesha? Please explain. (no more than 20 words)
