Attending school eight hours a day, keeping grades up, having a social life and dancing anywhere from four to nine hours, Darcy Luebbert, 10,  juggles all of these things and is still staying on top of the social standard for perfect student in High School. Luebbert has been a ballet dancer for thirteen years and is already planning her future to be a professional dancer. On a daily basis, she picks up her ballet shoes as well as her school books and prepares herself for the future that shines ahead of her.

“I would like to be a professional ballet dancer, but it is difficult to make it in the dance world. I plan to audition for a spot in the Joffrey Ballet School for the Summer Intensive to help my career,” Luebbert said. Joffrey Ballet School Summer Intensive is a very intense learning session for dancers from all over, wanting to improve their skills. She is auditioning for the Joffrey Ballet School in Denver to stay close to home, as she finishes High School at Lewis-Palmer.

“Up until 6th grade, I was just dancing for fun. It took me until 8th grade to start to get the mentality and discipline to start taking ballet more seriously, making me want to actually take it up as a profession,” Luebbert said. Not only does dance affect her physically, it affects her mentally as well as all of the school work that is presented to her.

Luebbert has many other activities outside of dance though. She keeps her grades up and plans to take Advanced Placement classes as a junior. Of course, all of these activities come with some down-sides.

“Ballet is very hard on your body. I have so many injuries; I strained both of my hip-flexors, my back always hurts and I have very bad knees,” Luebbert said. Currently wearing a knee brace, Luebbert has been told to take it easy with dance, but that is not an option for her.

Luebbert would never give any of it up; Her passion for dance shines almost as brightly as the costumes she dazzles in on stage.