At 14, Christian Ayala taking ballet to new heights, as a student and mentor

Young boys interested in ballet have been a hot social media topic of late, in particular after “Good Morning America” host Lara Spencer made a controversial comment on the subject in a recent broadcast.

“I was surprised by how funny she thinks it is, but I can’t say she’s the first person,” says Christian Ayala, a 14-year-old up-and-coming talent in the world of ballet who was recently named to the 2019 Rising Star Honor Roll program presented by the Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events in conjunction with Allstate.

“I’ve experienced it before; I’ve been bullied in school by those that think ballet is only for girls. People don’t understand what ballet means to others. But I’ve learned to focus on myself and not think about the negative,” Ayala says.

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When he was eight years old, Ayala began his dance journey as part of The Joffrey Ballet Beth Levine Bridge Program, which introduces Chicago Public Schools students from kindergarten through second grade to the basic elements of classical ballet through instruction in their schools followed by free weekend classes at the Joffrey Academy of Dance.

“I remember they told me I had good feet for dancing and they liked how I dance and took responsibility seriously,” says Ayala, who is currently enrolled at Chicago Academy for the Arts High School. Because he was so skilled and committed, the budding star was given a scholarship to continue his studies, which he has done for the past six years, sometimes devoting as much as six days a week, three hours each day, to the craft.

“It takes a lot of discipline and hard work and you can get injured a lot,” he admits, noting a serious setback when he was just 11 years old. “I injured my hips. I was doing a lot of air jumps and I was a bit heavier at that time. If you’re going to jump you have to have the support of your legs, to take the impact. My hips out of nowhere just popped, both of them. I had to go through a process of physical therapy that took three months.”

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Still, the risk is worth the reward. “I love the flow, and the music and the way you dance to that sound,” Ayala says. “You have to imagine the world you want to be in, and put forth emotions through movement to make the audience feel that. I don’t even really have the words to describe it. It feels great when you dance because it’s a different world from your own.”

Ayala’s commitment and spark have made an impression on The Joffrey Ballet team as well; when he was in fifth grade, he was selected to be part of the annual production of “The Nutcracker,” one of Ayala’s favorite ballets.

“I have seen Christian grow up over the last six years, from a young student among dozens of 8-year-olds taking ballet here at the Joffrey Academy, into a responsible, talented, smart young man in our selective pre-professional division,” says academy director Karine Provost.

“Throughout his training at the Joffrey Academy, Christian has always shown professionalism, passion and leadership. Being an adolescent male dancer comes with many challenges for students and oftentimes students drop out because of these obstacles,” Provost says. “I know that Christian has faced some of these challenges in his academic middle school, and yet he stands up for his love of dance and what he believes in every day.”

Provost says that she is also impressed with how Ayala interacts with The Joffrey Academy outside of his own studies.

“He also volunteers with the Community Engagement Program at The Joffrey Ballet, and over the last three years, Christian has served as a teacher’s assistant and demonstrator for the 7- to 8-year-old students in the Beth Levine Bridge Program, [helping] to show these students the proper way to perform the ballet steps,” she says. “He has also served a similar role for the Extensions program at The Joffrey Ballet [students ages 7-17]. This extra time on weekends that he chooses to spend at the Joffrey shows once again the leadership and commitment Christian has to not only his own training but also to being a mentor in the community.”

Though Ayala looks forward to continuing his studies well into high school and college, he’s also thinking about the impact he wants to have in the future.

“One of my dreams is to help other kids like me,” he says. “When I’m older, I’d like to have the chance to start an organization to help kids that live in neighborhoods that aren’t that always the greatest or who need support and resources. For me, having this scholarship, it’s like being lucky, and I want to give that back.”

This profile is part of a series made possible by Allstate as part of its commitment to support young artists in Chicago and to empower the next generation of rising stars.

Selena Fragassi is a local freelance writer.