Didi Hoyt is a sophomore at Boston University studying English with a passion for ballet; a passion that has led her to participate in the Harvard Ballet Company’s upcoming production “She Is.”
Q: How long have you been doing ballet? What kind of purpose has it held in your life?
A: I’ve been doing ballet since I was three and started dancing at the Washington school of ballet when I was six; I was there up until I graduated high school in 2018. At first, I didn’t really like ballet and only did it because my mom wanted me to and it was my form of exercise as a kid.
Then, in sixth grade, one of my friends convinced me to audition for Washington Ballet’s “The Nutcracker” (a famous ballet that most major ballet companies do in December for the holiday season) with her, and after I got in, I fell in love with performing. For a few years, I wanted to be a professional ballet dancer, but once I got to high school, I changed my mind and decided to keep it as a serious hobby instead of a professional track. Dancing, in general, is super important to me and something I want to be able to do for the rest of my life.
Didi Hoyt (center) offstage for a performance with the Washington Ballet. Photo courtesy of Didi Hoyt.
Q: What organization are you a part of and who is a part of it? How long has the group been up and running?
A: I am a part of the Harvard Ballet Company, a student-led group at Harvard. There are about 45 members, most of whom come from Harvard, but a few (including me, obviously) are from other schools like BU, Northeastern, Wellesley, and Tufts.
I don’t know much about the history of HBC, but they started in 1993 to share a love of dance. Although it’s technically a ballet company, other styles of dance are performed, like contemporary and modern.
Q: Why did you decide to audition for the group?
A: After hearing about HBC from a girl in my PDP ballet class here, I wanted to audition because I wanted to be able to perform ballet. I haven’t performed ballet in 3 years, and I found myself missing it a lot. I performed with Dance Theatre Group last semester, which was fun, but it was more contemporary dance than ballet.
Q: When is the show and what is it about? What can the audience look forward to?
A: There’s a show coming up for HBC next weekend, with shows on October 18th, 19th, and 20th over at Harvard’s Farkas Hall. The show is called “She Is” and centers around the experiences, challenges, and celebrations of being a woman. The audience can look forward to some great pieces varying from modern, to fully ballet, contemporary or maybe somewhere in between with a great soundtrack and important messages. Tickets for all students are $8, non-students are $12.
Hoyt plans to continue her participation at the Harvard Ballet Company and continuing to practice and perform ballet, as much as possible!
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