Annabelle DeWitt is an 11-year-old dancer from Ohio. She dances at Pinnell Dance Centre.
“Dance is just such a beautiful form of art that I love to watch, and share with others. Its brings new life to friendships, helps with self expression and discovery and builds confidence. ”
Tell us about your dance experience!
My dance experience has been the most incredible thing and has afforded me so many opportunities. I’ve been dancing since I was 2 years old at Pinnell Dance Centre. I have trained in ballet, jazz, contemporary, hip hop, lyrical, tap, musical theater, and pointe. I attended BalletMet’s Summer Intensive, and I’ve had the honor of competing at YAGP where I was the 2024 1st place Philadelphia regional contemporary winner. I’ve been a Refresh Squad member, KAR Protege, and a member of Titan’s Force. I love attending conventions and competitions! I have been attending Showstopper since I was 4, and I have so much fun every year. I was the 2022 Southern Finals Junior National soloist winner and I’ve been an All-Star for the past four years. After I graduate, I hope to start working in a professional ballet company.”
How does dance have a positive impact on your life?
Dance has such a positive impact on my life. If I’m having a bad day, as soon as I get to dance it makes it better. I am so grateful for the opportunities dance has given me. I’ve gotten to perform on amazing stages and meet incredible people. My best friends and mentors have come from dance. It’s taught me teamwork, discipline, time management skills, how to prioritize, and self care. Dance is just such a beautiful form of art that I love to watch, and share with others. It brings new life to friendships, helps with self-expression and discovery, and builds confidence. Dance inspires me every day.
How do you want to use dance to have a positive impact on your community?
Dance is something that can bring joy to everyone. My studio has taken great care to ensure that its dancers give back to our community. Every year our studio performs our Christmas Extravaganza where we perform for our friends, family, and community. We use the show as a food drive for GRIN, the local food pantry. Instead of purchasing tickets, audience members are asked to bring pantry and nonperishable items. Our studio also uses our spring Ballet Show to raise money for Nationwide Children’s Hospital through ticket sales. We participate in local festivals and perform in senior centers and schools.
Jeri Pinnell has cultivated a studio that teaches its students to give back not just as dancers alone but humans to humans. She has gone beyond studio walls to teach her students the meaning of community, and this has impacted me greatly. I’ve seen how the joy of dance can reach so people and how the help of an individual or group can touch so many lives. I’m so thankful to be a part of a studio that cares about its community so deeply, and I want to continue to be a part of these traditions.
