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One of her favorite quotes is, “There are shortcuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them.” – Vicki Baum. And making not only herself happy but others in the process through her amazing technique, sixteen-year-old Mia Patton is soaring into greatness.
When Mia saw her cousin Chelsey dance, it lit a spark of amazement in the young ballerina and she fell in love, wanting to be just like her cousin. Tragically, Chelsey was killed in a murder-suicide, leaving Mia with a sense of determination from the loss. “I know she is with me,” Mia said in an interview with azfamily.com. “When I am dancing, and when I am not dancing.”
In a recent interview with morethandancers.com, Mia gives readers a small glimpse into her world. Take a look at a snippet of her interview below.
morethandancers.com: We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
Mia Patton: Ballet is a very difficult skill to achieve. However, I feel that God has blessed me with natural abilities and talent, so it has been easier for me than for most people. Most of my training has been on a part-time basis due to a lack of finances and resources. I started competitions at a later age. I am not able to train as much as I need to or would like to, but I continue to improve and advance by God’s grace. He provides all that I need to be able to pursue my dreams.
morethandancers.com: What personal limitations if any did you go through in your young career?
Mia Patton: My biggest obstacle in pursuing my dreams has been financial. My mom is a single parent and 100% disabled, and we are low-income. Ballet is very expensive, and the girls I train with have the resources for training, competitions, and private lessons. It’s hard to stay competitive when I can’t afford to train like them. At times I have to train on my own from home because we lack the money for tuition, so my training has never been very consistent. We have had to be creative and work even harder to find scholarships, ambassadorships, and sponsorships. Promoting my dance journey on Instagram has helped. I have been fortunate to be able to model in exchange for photos to use on my Instagram page. It is a great help because my Instagram page has helped me to get dancewear ambassadorships and scholarships. There are still additional costs with competitions, travel, pointe shoes, and private lessons for which we are working to secure sponsorships for. I’m grateful for the many people and organizations who have helped me in my journey. I would not have reached this level in my training without them.
morethandancers.com: Has anybody ever tried to limit you on what you could do? If so how did you fight it?
Mia Patton: At my old studio, the co-director was upset that I had chosen to take an opportunity and perform in “The Debbie Allen Hot Chocolate Nutcracker” instead of dancing the lead in the studio Nutcracker. Even though participation in the studio show was voluntary and others had chosen not to dance in it, they punished me when I decided to do the same things others had done. They took away my scholarships and kicked me out of the studio. I didn’t do anything to fight it because it was their studio, and they had the right to decide if they didn’t want me there. However, their punishment didn’t end there. They went on to bad talk me to others in the studio, at dancewear stores, and local competitions. I don’t feel that I was treated fairly, but I believe that you reap what you sow. Their slander on me didn’t amount to much, and I went on to be even more blessed with opportunities at other studios.
morethandancers.com: How do you conquer negative talk?
Mia Patton: I do my best to ignore negative talk and ignore the negative things some people may say about me. I know who I am, and I do my best to treat others kindly. Some people may say negative things, but I am at peace with it because I know the negativity comes from something within themselves and not because I have said anything or done anything to them. I try to remember that there will always be those who want to be negative, especially when they see that you are thriving. I stay focused on God and on working on myself to remain positive and kind.
To read the remainder of Mia’s interview, click here. We cannot wait to see what the future holds for this truly amazing young woman. Enveloped in grace, talent, determination, and gratitude…there truly is no stopping her! Mia is unquestionably proving that #browngirlsdoballet.
Photo Credit(s)/Featured Image: Mia Patton Instagram; @aballeteducation
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