Ballet Dancers

I took ballet classes once a week for an hour, and it wasn’t enough. So I tried to learn more by learning from YouTube. And I immigrated to Malaysia at 18 to take Ballet intensives for 2 months. Then I decided to immigrate to Germany to study at a professional dance school.

I started classical ballet when I was 9 and trained abroad to deepen my knowledge in classical ballet. My love for ballet is not embedded solely in the movements. I believe that ballet has a great impact on the body and the mind and if practiced correctly it can be meditative and life changing.

I received an invitation from my Russian ballet teacher to attend a master class with a soloist from the Bolshoi Ballet. I attended a course for professional pointe work with a teacher in London. I’m proud to say that after all my hard work, I received a full scholarship from the Russian government this year to study dance at Kazan University.

Ballet was the only thing that kept me going. I can’t imagine how life was like before ballet. It’s addictive like drugs, specially because it’s illegal in Iran and letting go of it would drive me insane. So I prefer to dance even if it’s hidden, than not dancing at all.

Tara Ghassemieh is the first Iranian-American principal dancer in history. Tara is a choreographer, dancer, teacher and actress. Her most recognized pieces are “Le Petite Artiste” awarded 1st place at YAGP and Outstanding Choreography Award. 

I’ve never really known why I chose dance, but I feel like it’s an inner feeling that has always been within me. As an artist who has lived in a country with no resources, I believe I’ve done my best to both learn the art I love and to share it with others (in the right way).