sanam rastegar-senior company profile

I have been a dancer at Westport’s Academy of Dance since I was three years old.  Since then, my life has revolved around dance, and it is a passion of mine that has shaped who I have become.  My love for dancing only grows each year as the talented teachers at the Academy expose me to different types of dancing and choreography.  I participate in Ballet, Jazz, Tap, and Modern and love each style just as much as the next.  Apart from just being incredibly fun, dancing has always been the medium through which I can escape into a world without any stress or external pressures, and release my emotions through the movements and music.Apart from dancing, I am also an avid sailor and pianist.  Piano and sailing serve the same purpose as dance does for me – they allow me to enjoy and express myself in yet another way.  I have also immersed myself in the world of philanthropy.  I am very involved with Paul Newman’s Hole in the Wall Gang Camp, which gives children with terminal illnesses the opportunity to have the classic summer camp experience they would normally not be able to have given their conditions.  I initiated a fundraiser at my school (Hopkins School) to benefit the Camp, and have since raised over $130,000 for the organization.Next year, I will begin my studies at Yale University.  I will be sailing with Yale’s team, but I will be sure to make the time to dance.  To me, dance is an incredible art and sport, and although it has presented me with injuries that I am still struggling to overcome, I will never be able to let go of it.  As I grow older, and am faced with challenges, I am reassured that I will be able to find solace in my dancing. Regardless of whether it is in a school club or a more serious performance, I will never turn my back on dance or the rush I feel each time I take the stage.  I am so lucky to have dance in my life, and it is a passion of mine that will always remain an innate part of who I am.