- April 19, 2024
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Isabella Ward is a big believer in manifesting.
And when it came to appearing on the big screen for 2021 remake of "West Side Story," that's exactly what she did.
Ward, a native of Ormond Beach, was selected out of 50,000 to be one of the Shark dancers in the movie directed by Steven Spielberg, which released in theaters on Friday, Dec. 10. When open calls were announced in 2018 for the roles of Anita and Maria, Ward — who was part of the national Broadway tour of Rodgers + Hammerstein's "Cinderella"at the time — decided to begin submitting videos because, even though she didn't fit the mold for either of the roles, she knew then she would be a great member of the dance ensemble.
Nothing came of it, but Ward didn't give up.
“I never thought a movie of this caliber — this iconic movie — would ever be made again," Ward said. "It’s just kind of one of those things you grow up thinking it’s never going to be touched again because the original was just perfection. And then Steven Spielberg comes along."
Later that year, she attended the first open call for ensemble dancers in New York City. Ward woke up at 3 a.m. and stood in the rain for hours until she was finally seen around 3 p.m. But unfortunately, the audition didn't go as she'd hoped. One of the dancers in her group got too close to Ward, and Ward was struck in the face and fell down onstage.
She didn't get callback.
But again, Ward didn't give up. When her family informed her that auditions were taking place in Puerto Rico, where Ward is originally from, she flew down and gave it another shot. This time, she was noticed during the auditions and received several callbacks. Then on the flight back to New York, she ended up sitting next to the film's choreographer, Justin Peck.
“There were so many serendipitous signs, and from there it kind of just started taking off," Ward said.
In April 2019, Ward found out she'd made the ensemble, and a couple months later, they began shooting. The experience of being part of the film, she said, was "beyond her wildest imaginations."
One of the best things of watching Spielberg at work was seeing his treatment of the cast, she said. He treated them like a family, and every Sunday, he'd rent out a private screening room so he could show them a movie that he thought was important for them to know about. For Ward, it was like attending a master class.
She always knew she had a passion for making movies. Growing up in Ormond Beach, the Spruce Creek High School alumna trained at the European School of Performing Arts before training with the Orlando Ballet. She later graduated from Rollins College before moving to Scotland to attend the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where she received her master's degree in musical theater performance.
There were many decisions she made in her life that took her far away from where she is now — living her dream in Los Angeles and pursuing acting. But that was the path that led her to the present, and for Ward, "West Side Story" embodies her hard work, and manifesting, coming together.
“We’re just dancing and singing our heart out," Ward said. "You’ll definitely catch me flying by.”
