Budding ballet star wins scholarship to school in NYC

By H.M. Cauley

For the AJC

Most students dread the thought of having to attend summer school, but 13-year-old Austin Carter of Powder Springs can’t wait. The budding ballet star recently won a $6,000 scholarship and a coveted spot at the School of American Ballet in New York City, where he'll spend five weeks this summer.

Austin, who began dancing when he was six, studies at the Marietta-based Georgia Ballet and is its first student to receive a full scholarship to the New York school.

“The School of American Ballet is arguably the most prestigious school in the country, if not the world, and accepts very few students per year to study there,” said Georgia Ballet spokesperson Amelia Smith-Fazio. “He is a remarkably talented student.”

For Austin, the New York scholarship is the largest he’s ever been awarded. He turned down lesser offers from ballet institutions in San Francisco, Houston and Washington, D.C.

“I’m really psyched,” Austin said. “I had to audition in Nashville on Valentine’s Day with about 40 other student from South Carolina, Georgia and other states. We had a 1.5-hour audition that was very nerve-racking.”

The home-schooled teen fell back on his intensive ballet training to keep his cool and earn the scholarship. He has been at the barre since he gave up tap lessons and moved onto ballet when he was eight. At first, classes were once, then twice a week. For the last few years, he’s been dancing six days a week for a minimum of two hours. On Saturdays, it can be even longer. But he loves the dance -- and the workout results.

“It really moves me,” he said. “I like how much you can work on it and improve. There’s no stopping for corrections; you just endlessly apply what you learned to what you’re doing. And it really keeps you in shape and increases flexibility.”

The willowy-thin Austin has also gotten to showcase his talents in various Georgia Ballet performances. He has played the role of Clara’s brother in The Nutcracker more than once, and during the last holiday season, he portrayed a toy soldier. He’s also been part of the ballet’s regular recitals and loves the performance aspect of the art.

“I want to become famous, hopefully,” he said with a laugh. “But when I'm older, I’d like to teach, too.”

Being home-schooled gives him the flexibility to devote to dance, though Austin said that along with ballet, he enjoys studying math and science. In his spare time, he plays video games and hangs with friends, most of whom are fellow dancers.

“That really helps that most of my friends are,” he said. “I get excited about seeing them every day; all of them are very inspired. When I need to find motivation, it’s my friends -- and my mom -- who keep me going.”

Along with making friends and keeping in shape, there’s another perk to being a ballet dancer that Austin notes. “Well, of course,” he said, “there are lots of girls there.”

"Milestones" covers significant events and times in the lives of metro Atlantans. Big or small, well-known or not -- tell us of a Milestone we should write about. Send information to hm_cauley@yahoo.com; call 404-514-6162; or mail to Milestones, c/o Jamila Robinson, 223 Perimeter Center Parkway N.E., Atlanta, GA 30346.