I’m a twenty one year old ballet dancer and home baker living in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, and I’ve been dancing and loving food for as long as I can remember!
I grew up in Charleston, SC but moved to Pittsburgh 4 years ago to join Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre School’s graduate Program, where I trained and rehearsed six days a week. It wasn’t until I began the program that I realized my passion for baking–what started as a stress reliever after rough weeks in the ballet studio quickly became much more than that! I began to bombard my friends, family, and coworkers with my latest culinary endeavors; they graciously accepted their roles as taste-testers, of course.
Over the years, I suffered from multiple ligament/tendon injuries, two stress fractures, and chronic knee pain that kept me from fully participating in ballet for months. Dance has been one of the most important elements of my life since I was three; so, I go a little crazy when it’s taken from me. Through all of the missed performances, painful days, and anxieties about the future, baking served as an escape–an outlet that didn’t require perfectly functioning ankles and feet. Prayer and pastries have provided me with joy through some of the most difficult years I’ve encountered.
Now, as a professional dancer with Pittsburgh Ballet Theatre Company, I spend every spare minute of my time in my kitchen, trying new recipes and perfecting old ones. Whether this crazy hobby will stay a hobby, or whether it will develop into a career one day, I have no idea! All I know is that God has planted in me a major obsession for baking (and a serious sweet tooth), and I can’t wait to share it with you 🙂
Go, eat your food with gladness, and drink your wine with a joyful heart, for God has already approved what you do.
Ecclesiastes 9:7
**Photos by the amazing Northrop Photography
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