- April 18, 2024
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Anjali Khanna said she's become the dancer she is through hard work. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Anjali Khanna began dancing when she was about 5 years old. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Anjali Khanna will be performing her senior solo to "Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Dallas Kinsley, Anjali Khanna, Eliza Dent, Sydney Sullivan, Eris Potts and Charlotte Ford practice a number for the upcoming contemporary show. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Sabrina Bobeck, Summer Euson, Madison Morgan, Betsy Reece and Olivia Rodriguez practice a number for the upcoming contemporary show. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Betsy Reece, Summer Euson, Dallas Kinsley, Anjali Khanna, Eliza Dent and Sydney Sullivan practice a number for the upcoming contemporary show. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Anjali Khanna, Dallas Kinsley, Eliza Dent and Sydney Sullivan practice a number for the upcoming contemporary show. Photo by Jarleene Almenas
Being a dancer is hard work.
And 18-year-old Anjali Khanna knows that. The Ormond Beach resident dances for several hours a week after school, on top of the seven hours of rehearsal on Saturdays at Ormond Ballet. It's hours of learning routines, of developing techniques, of doing it all with a smile and making it look easy.
Khanna makes it look easy, though she insists dancing isn't something that comes naturally to her.
"I've been able to become my best version of a dancer through hard work," Khanna said.
The Father Lopez High School senior and valedictorian is among the Ormond Ballet's students who will perform in two upcoming productions at The Coliseum at 176 N. Beach St. in Daytona Beach. The first, "Giselle," will be held at 7 p.m. Friday, May 5 and 2 p.m. Saturday, May 6. The second production is "An Evening Under the Stars," an original contemporary showcase, at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 6 and 3 p.m. Sunday, May 7.
Khanna will be playing the role of Myrtha, the Queen of the Wilis in "Giselle," and from the beginning, Khanna said she knew it would be a challenge. She remembers watching the original staging of the ballet on YouTube and thinking it was certainly going to be a difficult role.
That didn't deter her.
"Obviously, it's still very difficult, but it's become something that I can conquer, even though it is a challenge," Khanna said. "And I've also enjoyed it a lot more than I thought I would."
Ormond Ballet Artistic Director Michelle Boutros often tells her students that their work at Ormond Ballet is similar to that of a lab — it's about experimenting and learning, not striving for perfection.
Khanna is extremely intelligent, Boutros said, so when it comes to working on a role, she feels like Khanna can dive deep. With Myrtha being a strong female role, she knew Khanna would be able to embody the character.
"You can't really ask for a better student, and then also, she's an amazing human being," Boutros said. "She's such a great leader. Everyone looks up to [her]."
Boutros described Khanna as a joy, and the type of student that helps keep others on task, much like an older sister.
"She's so easy to teach," Boutros said. "Everything that I ask of her, she does to her best of her ability, and that's really all I could ask for."
In the contemporary show, Khanna will also be performing a senior solo to "Unforgettable" by Nat King Cole. The show will also feature Ormond Ballet's other senior student, Taylor Falb, of Seabreeze High School, who will also play the role of "Giselle" in the namesake ballet. Boutros said she always tries to make her seniors' solos carry a special meaning.
"It's also a gift from us to them and then to their families and audience," Boutros said.
Khanna will be attending the University of Florida in the fall, where she was accepted into the honors program, to pursue a degree in biology in hopes to become a doctor. Dance, however, will likely still play a role in her life, she said.
Khanna said dance has taught her discipline. She started dancing when she was around five years old.
"It's something that you have to keep working at," she said. "It's not going to happen in one day. You're not going to improve coming one time. ... You're not just going through the motions, but like really putting your heart and soul into it."
