Ty’Esha Smith and Anisa Walker are in 12 different dances in the upcoming In Motion School of Dance annual showcase, Air In Motion.

“We will be doing ballet, jazz, modern dance, pointe, the opening number and the finale,” Anisa, 18, said.

They learnt to cope with a busy schedule while dancing with In Motion’s pre-professional dance company, consisting of the school’s most promising students.

“At first, balancing school work and dance was a challenge,” said Ty’Esha, 17. “We could not just lay down and take a little nap like other people, because our free time was not always there. We had to be really strategic and take advantage of study periods at school to stay on top of our work.”

She also had to figure out how to make time to relax so she did not get overwhelmed.

The pair graduated from Warwick Academy this week.

In her final years at the school, Anisa took three international baccalaureate courses at Warwick Academy and three university level courses, online.

“I really wanted to focus on dance and not struggle to keep up with school,” she said. “That allowed me to study more at my own pace.”

They have both been students at In Motion since they were babies.

Ty’Esha remembered how she was the kind of toddler who clung to her mother through every activity.

The exception was dance.

After starting in the Mommy & Me class at In Motion at 18 months old, she quickly tossed her mother out, making her wait outside.

“I just did not feel the need to be attached to her during the class,” she said. “I felt comfortable.”

Anisa has a similar story.

“I have been dancing at In Motion for about 17 years,” she said. “Dance is the space where I get away from everything. If I am stressed, dancing helps me forget about everything else.”

Her favourite style of dance is ballet.

“I like how classical and flowing it is,” she said.

Ty’Esha likes ballet and modern dance.

The pair have worked their way up through the ranks at In Motion.

To get into the pre-professional company they auditioned during a two-day break in the annual recital.

“The audition is a chance to show the teachers how much you have improved over the last year,” Ty’Esha said.

In Motion founder and owner Lizz Pimentel explained that they do the auditions during a break in the recital, because they have use of the stage at City Hall at that time.

Thirty students tried out for the top-tier group; eight were chosen.

Ms Pimentel said people sometimes think of dance as strictly recreational.

“These girls are athletes,” she said.

She stated that while it is great to have a speciality – hers was ballet – she really emphasises the importance of versatility at her dance school on Church Street in Hamilton.

“I spend a lot of time researching and talking with my colleagues overseas to keep up with what is current,” she said.

“I make sure that In Motion’s students are advanced in all of the styles. I push well-roundedness.”

She was feeling a range of emotions as she prepared to launch the showcase on Friday.

“These girls have been with us since they were 18-months-old,” she said. “So on the last night there will definitely be tears. Hopefully, they will come back and dance with us. There are some other graduates of our school in the show this year. We are really proud of all our dancers who have been through our programme.”

Ty’Esha is heading to the University of Tampa, in Florida, in September.

“I am doing dance as a minor,” she said. “That will still allow dance to open doors for me but I will also be able to focus on a career that will let me to come back to Bermuda to work.”

Becoming a dance instructor is a possibility for her.

“I want to really drive the arts in Bermuda,” she said. “It is important for the island.”

She has already acted as a teaching assistant at In Motion through a work study programme.

“You help the students with the little things, so the teacher can focus on running the class,” she said.

She has sometimes been given the entire class to instruct when the teacher was away or out sick.

“That was a real opportunity, and I loved it,” she said. “I love the children.”

Anisa is going to university in Canada, but is still deciding between Western in London, Ontario, and Dalhousie in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

“I am going to do health sciences,” she said. “I’m not sure yet which area I will go into, maybe psychology, or maybe some kind of therapy.”

She hopes to keep taking dance classes.

“It is something that I really enjoy and I want to keep doing it,” she said.

As In Motion veterans, the teenagers have seen their share of recitals.

“I really enjoyed the Time Capsule showcase in 2022,” Ty’Esha said.

That recital featured dances from In Motion’s earliest performances.

“That was for In Motion’s 25th anniversary,” Ms Smith said. “I liked seeing what our dancers and choreographers did back in the day.”

Air In Motion runs from May 31 to June 2, and from June 5 to 8, at the Earl Cameron Theatre at City Hall in Hamilton. Tickets start at $55, and are available on www.ptix.bm.

• For more information, seeinmotionbda.com.