Amanda Willingham has trained at Ballet Royale Academy under Donna Pidel and later with Vyacheslav Mesropov and under the direction of Misako Aoki at Misako Ballet Studio.She has attended intensives and workshops up and down the East coast. She currently dances with Misako Ballet Company where she's performed many excerpts from classical ballets including Swan Lake, La Fille mal Gardée, and more. She holds a Master's of Science in Applied and Industrial Mathematics with a concentration in Optimization and Differential Equations from Towson University and currently works for T. Rowe Price as a Quantitative Risk Analyst.
Amanda is embarking on her second season with Ballet Embody!
Continue reading to learn more about Amanda.
Zodiac
Aquarius
Favorite Food
Fruit, especially berries
Favorite Color
Red
Favorite Book
Warbreaker by Brandon Sanderson cause I’m a nerd. 😃
Favorite Movie
Uhhhhhhhh.....depends on the day. Coco is my current go to.
Inspirational Quote
"Real change, enduring change, happens one step at a time." -Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Favorite Music/Artist/Band/Genre
I don’t have a specific favorite band. The music I listen to is based on my mood from jazz to pop to rock to classical.
Favorite Place to Be
Anywhere with my puppies, a cup of coffee and a good book.
If you were a dinosaur, what kind would you be?
Velociraptor!
Do you have any pets?
Yes! Two puppies: Zephyr and Ember. Zephyr, aka the puppy bear, is my baby boy who is extremely sweet and loving. He’s and I do rally competitions together. Ember is 4 months old and is a lover! She wants to sit in your lap and kiss your face.
Tell us about your dance background and training.
I’ve been dancing since I was 3, which has included all genres such as tap, jazz, hip hop, ballet, modern, and more. Most of my training has been with Ballet Royal Academy and Misako Ballet Studio, but I’ve always tried to extend my reach by dancing in other places like Dance Institute of Washington, Duke Ellington, North Carolina School of the Arts, and others.
What genre of dance is your favorite? Why?
Ballet! I just think it’s beautiful, and it’s so hard to be so strong and maintain the grace required for ballet.
What's your favorite full length ballet/performance/variation? Why?
This may be corny, but I love Swan Lake. The music is gorgeous, the story is classic and never bores me as it combines romance and tragedy, and I love the choreography.
Why do you dance?
It’s my passion! I can’t imagine my life without dance, and it always me to release all my stress.
If you wear pointe shoes, what kind do you wear?
Gaynor Mindens! I love these shoes!
What other jobs/activities/talents/passions do you pursue?
I’m a mathematician, but I also like many other things like playing and training with my pups, hiking, yoga, crocheting, and video games (see I’m a nerd).
What are you looking forward to this season with Ballet Embody?