Page 14 - North Haven Magazine Issue 14 Summer 2020

North Haven’s Ballerina:

Shannon Cushing

By Marisa Hexter

rom a young age, Shannon Cushing mance with their students to a wonderful
knew ballet was for her. Growing outcome. In fact, Shannon performed in
Fup in Clinton, she started dancing the Sugar Plum Fairy number in the ballet,
at the age of 2 at a local studio where she which her daughter was in as well, saying
learned tap, jazz, and ballet. “I never really “It was a dream come true to be on stage
took to anything else but ballet” Shannon with her.” When the performance ended
says, “Even as a little child I wrote ballets” Shannon states, “I just remember looking
which she would preform with her friends. out on stage…and being like we did it.”
As she grew older, she danced at New Ha-
ven Ballet and Starship Dance Studio in
Guilford. While she was studying at Salve
Regina University, as an English major and
dance minor, Shannon continued to dance.
“I’ve never really not had ballet in my life.”
To Shannon everything about ballet was
beautiful and appealing, “It took my breath
away.” Along with being a marketing man-
ager for Shore Publishing, she also is in
charge of the ballet program at Performing
Art Studio Be in North Haven where she is
happy to bring the feelings of being “free
and alive” as well as a “surge of adrenaline”
to the children in town that she feels when
dancing and preforming. Shannon also
explains how ballet is a form of storytell-
ing without speaking. “You have to convey to make ballet look easy even though it
emotion in a way that an audience can re- isn’t. There’s a lot of practice and strength.”
ceive and appreciate this character without She also reminds her students if they want
using words… you have to use your whole to do really well at ballet, it’s about practic-
body to express what’s happening.” ing, “The more you do something, the more
During the quarantine, Shannon has con- attainable it feels. Even if it’s not perfect…
tinued classes with her students, though Work hard, believe in yourself. You can
they are virtual. She says there are difficul- do it.” The biggest thing Shannon learned
ties of dancing at home versus in a studio, through her time as a ballerina was to learn
“You can’t move the same way at home.” But through mistakes. She states how many
Shannon still believes in making the best of dancers put a lot of pressure on themselves
it. With the busy schedule of working, in- as she herself did.
structing classes for Studio Be, and being a
mom, Shannon finds time to take time for
herself to take free ballet classes online with
famous ballerinas like Isabella Boylston and
James Whiteside from the American Ballet
Theatre and Tiler Peck from the New York
City Ballet. Other hobbies of Shannon’s in-
clude reading and writing. “If I’m not danc-
ing, I am probably reading.” In this recent
quarantine, Shannon believes she has read
over 50 books so far. She loves to get new
ideas for ballets and gets inspired by the dif-
ferent people as well. One of the most rewarding experiences for
Shannon is seeing the reactions from peo-
When asked about mentors who have ple in town to performances. “Seeing the joy
helped her along the way, Shannon said, that it brings to these parents and grandpar-
“The list could go on and on.” “One of my ents, children, everyone,” she states. "Saying
biggest mentors” she says is Joyce DiLauro that is what makes it all worth it."
At Studio Be, Shannon helped create a per- from Starship Dace Studio in Guilford, “She
formance of their shorter version of the nut- really encouraged my love of ballet… She’s Shannon’s favorite part of North Haven is
cracker, called the “New Year Nutcracker.” adaptable and a wonderful person.” Anoth- easily the people saying they are “by far the
“We started from scratch” Shannon states, er mentor Shannon named was Diana Dart best part.” “It is a town you can feel good
from finding a venue, working with tech- Harris, her dance teacher from Clinton about… I just really believe in its future
nicians with lighting and sound, to creat- who, “Encouraged me from day one.” and I think we can only make it better with
ing sets and ordering costumes. She helped more arts programs.”
choreograph a few numbers and with the Shannon tells her students that while ballet
help of others, the studio put on the perfor- is hard, “We can do hard things… You want

14 North Haven Magazine - Summer Issue 2020