Historical Newspapers of South Carolina

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Portra\ By Tonya Richardson staff writer Freshman Erin Jaffe knows how hard it is to be a dancer. To be on stage with the spotlight shining and adored by thousands sounds like fantasy. But Jaffe has learned firsthand about the tremendous amount of time, effort and heartache that goes into becoming a professional dancer. A full-time student at University of South Carolina, Jaffe has danced since the age of three. She started with tap and creative movement and began taking ballet classes when she was four or five. "I love to perform," Jaffe said. "It's in my blood. It's something that you're born with. It defines after a while." Throughout the course of Jaffe's life, dance has been the main focus. She has studied under Calvert Brodie and at the Columbia Conservatory of Dance. She also participated in the dance program at USC for three L:_ i 1 1 has scoliosis, a curvature of the spine. But dancing at Winnipeg helped to "straighten her out," Anderson said. Jaffe said that she developed scoliosis as she got older. "It [scoliosis] doesn't hurt at all. It messes up some of my lines. 8 Garnet & Black, January, 31, 11 years in nign scuuui. Jaffe studied in New York and spent her senior year of high school in Canada at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School. "It [dance] has become a turning point in my life. To become a professional dancer requires a lot ol time. It can be very traumatizing after a while," Jaffe said. Susan Anderson, the director oi the dance program in the Department of Theatre, Speech, and Dance has known Jaffe since she was about eight years old and used to give her private lessons. "She always has a positive attitude," Anderson said. Anderson said Jaffe is always or time, enthusiastic and kind. Jaffe has lived in Columbia all her life and was graduated from Richland Northeast High School. Even though she didn't attend Richland Northeast her senioi year, Jaffe walked with her class at graduation. Jaffe spends most of her time dancing. She dances six days a week and takes two or three classes a night. Arrnrdinor rn Anderson, laffe it of a dc 44 ["Vance] has become a turning point tn my life. "To become a professional lancer requires a lot of time. It can be Very traumatizing after a While." - 'Erin Jaffe freshman Dance is not a pleasant life. You L spend five minutes on the stage, and the rest is struggle and constant competition," Jaffe said. Commonly associated with the life of a dancer are eating disorp ders. Jaffe said she has never sufj fered from one, but she has known dancers who just live on Twizzlers p and water, : "It's [eating disorders] definitely , prevalent all around. It's very : important to watch what you eat," I she said. Jaffe lives at home with her parents and has one older brother, Jason, who's a karate instructor i and makes pottery. Even though she doesn't live on 1 campus, she said it hasn't been difi ficuit for her to fit in. "Some of my friends are in soror1 ities, so I go to parties with them," Jaffe said. Being a full-time student and a dancer in the USC dance company ; creates a very busy schedule. 1 "It's really crazy. It's almost like I look at my schedule and see where I can fit in dance classes," she said. Jaffe took 15 credit hours last ? | semester but is only taking 13 this s semester. She is choreographing a piece of dance, which might be 1 considered a credit hour. ? Despite the fact that Jaffe spends so much time dancing, she is actu- ? ally a journalism major. ( 997 r; ^Wb< \'~ 'K, 31i MMWiBBMi ' - ' 1 ' ;'. ' THE DANCING LIFE: Freshman E Jaffe said. "It's in my blood. It's somethi "It's [journalism] something I've ilways been interested in," Jaffe laid. Jaffe said she's interested in broadcasting and is also thinking ibout going to law school. "I know that if you're going to be i dancer, you don't need to go to :ollege right away," she said. SCs Eri BULI ^S3|y wBsmm JH 9 ^91 |:- 4% . :.'v: .' . , -. .. Irin Jaffe has been dancing since she was th ing that you're bom with. It defines you af Jaffe said she realizes that an h education is very important, and g that she may not want to make a v career out of dance. a At the production of "Peter e Pan" in rhe fall. Anderson oresent- d ed Jaffe with the Artistic Director Award. t It was the first time Anderson s njaffe * " '/f ,/%**. -. \ x | Special to Qarwt &Black tree years old. "I love to perform," ter a while." . 1 1 Tl 1 las given me awara. i ne awara is iven for artistic achievement, serice to the USC dance program, cademic standing and being an xemplary role model for the USC lance company. "She's the child that seems to lave it all together," Anderson aid.