For MacArthur High freshman, Reagan Nasky the art of dance is a passion she has pursued for more than three-quarters of her life – 11 years to be exact. From jazz to ballroom to musical theatre and ballet, Reagan has done it all. She started dancing at the age of 3 at Dana’s Dance Academy in Irving.
“Ms. Dana taught me everything I know. She was the first dance instructor I had,” says Reagan.
Throughout the years, Reagan dabbled in other activities – gymnastics and playing the violin – but dance always remained a constant in her life. Even though she was an excellent gymnast, she always feared breaking a limb, which is why she chose to return to dance full-time. “It was then that I realized how much I missed it,” she says.
Reagan has been a student at the Ballet Academy of Texas in Coppell for two years under the direction of Lisa Slagle and Tammie Reinsch. She speaks highly of her instructors and credits them for her growth as a ballet dancer. “They are both great people to work with,” adds Reagan.
Over the course of her 11-year dance career, Reagan has been awarded for various types of dance. But her biggest accomplishments to date is getting accepted into summer intensive camps for the Texas Ballet Theatre and American Ballet Theatre, which are both prestigious classical ballet companies in the US. She will be attending both camps this summer. After graduating from MacArthur High School in 2024, she plans to continue dancing in college with her sights currently set on New York University, Louisiana State University or Yale.
When it comes to dancers that inspire her, Reagan quickly said Misty Copeland and Isabella Boylston. “They’re not your typical dancers,” she says. “They don’t care about what others think, they just do what they love.”
International Dance Day is celebrated on April 29, and to Reagan, this is a day for everyone to get up, dance and feel free! “International Dance Day is also a day for dancers to take time to appreciate what we do,” she adds.
