PASSION: Piimio Mei will be going to the Rock Ballet School soon.
Piimio Mei, who grew up in Kapiti, has been selected into summer school in Philadelphia's famous Rock Ballet School.
"I'm really looking forward to the fulltime training," the 17-year-old says.
"The longest I've ever done is a week so I can't imagine what I'll be like after five weeks.
"And the overseas experience will be amazing."
It will be an intense time comprising three or four classes a day and then a couple of rehearsals for a show at the end of the course.
Piimio, who now lives in Newlands, sent a video audition comprising specific exercises.
"I was blown away when I found out I had been selected.
"I was scared they wouldn't accept me because I still need a lot training.
"It was amazing.
"I've never been accepted into anything like this before."
Piimio's interest in ballet was sparked when she was 12 years old. She was captivated after watching a Swan Lake ballet dvd featuring Dame Margot Fonteyn.
She's had various tuition and is now attending the Wellington Dance Academy.
"I want to get into a fulltime ballet school next year, hopefully in the United States, or one of the smaller company's in New Zealand," says Piimio, who is also doing a 17 week mechanical engineering course at Weltec.
"And when I'm older I want to start up a trust for children from low income families so they can do ballet.
"I'd love to have my own ballet school one day."
* A fundraising hangi, to help Piimio pay off the ballet school fees, is on Sunday April 19.
The hangi is going down at Nga Hau e Wha, in Newlands. Piimio's mother will drive the Kapiti orders up when it's out about 5pm.
Hangi tickets, $10 each, must be sold by Friday April 10.
Email portiapoet@gmail.com or phone/text 021 918 339.
