On the morning of May 1, Miriam Barbosa posted a photo of her daughter, Itzkan, on Facebook. The image itself is striking—Itzkan stands smiling on pointe in front of Miami City Ballet, where she has spent the last year as a pre-professional student, perched atop a mountain of old pointe shoes of all different sizes. But it’s the story behind the picture that’s inspired so many people to comment their congratulations and appreciation. The photo contains every single one of Itzkan’s pointe shoes, from her very first pair up until the moment she got her first professional contract as a corps member with MCB last month.The image not only calls attention to the hard work and dedication necessary for young dancers to achieve their dreams, but to the sacrifices parents make to help them get there.
Read the full story at Pointe Magazine.
Photo by Alexander Iziliaev, via Pointe
