Meagan Woodin Dances Her Way To New York City

Meagan Woodin Dances Her Way To New York City By Barbara Ernst

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It's a big leap from small Vermont schools to the sparkle of professional ballet in New York City, but 19 year-old Meagan Woodin has taken that leap and landed on her feet.

Gracefully, of course.

A 2006 graduate of The Sharon Academy, Meagan headed straight to New York, where she is already dancing with three professional companies, is teaching ballet, and is even helping create a new ballet. In the process, she’s discovered that she’s "a city girl at heart."

Meagan has been most surprised at "how small the dance world is." Through auditions she meets people, makes connections, hears of opportunities. She has been pleased by the number of chances she has been given.

Last month she was hired to work with Ami Goodheart, well-known NYC cabaret dancer, and danced at fashion designer Marc Jacobs’ Christmas party; she also did a runway fashion show and, while working at the Dance Teacher Award Ceremony, met Gelsey Kirkland, a dancer whom Meagan has admired for years.

Other new exciting opportunities include being a product tester for Bloch, a company that sells dance wear, and a photo shoot for an Indie Rock band album cover. Meagan was also asked to dance with the band.

Currently Meagan is dancing with several professional companies—Ballet For Young Audiences, the contemporary company Naganuma Dance, and Ballet Academy East, all in NYC.

She has danced in the "Nutcracker" in NYC, New Jersey, Connecticut, and upstate New York and in performances of "Beauty and the Beast." Meagan will dance in The Cool NY Dance Festival (Naganuma) at the end of January. She is helping create a new ballet, Pirates, for Ballet For Young Audiences.

The road to NYC was filled with hard work, talent, determination, triumphs, disappointments, and much support from her family.

Started At Age Four

Meagan danced at the Vermont Conservatory of Ballet in Essex from age four-13. She performed for six seasons for the highly competitive Albany Berkshire company, and in 1999 was cast in her dream role as Clara in the "Nutcracker," performed at the Flynn Theater.

At the same time, her father, Joe Woodin, became President of Gifford Medical Center in Randolph. The family, parents Pat and Joe, sister Bekah, brother Tim, and Meagan remained in Jericho, while Joe commuted to work so that Meagan could fulfill her dream in Burlington.

Meagan was in seventh grade when she moved to Randolph, and started dancing at the Lebanon (N.H.) Ballet School, and at a student company at City Center Ballet, Lebanon, with principal and soloist roles in many classical ballets. She branched out from the ballet scene in 8^th grade and took classes at In Motion with Patty Ackley-Warlick in Randolph.

Meagan knew that dancing was more than just an extra activity when it began to "take up every afternoon of every day," she said in a recent interview with The Herald.

A turning point for Meagan came when she was 13. She had started taking classes in Lebanon and had a really difficult time adjusting. She even "considered quitting."

"I had the choice, it was now or never," recalled Meagan. Her choices were to stop dancing and be a high school student involved in sports and other activities, or work and get through the hard point she faced in her dancing. She did not quit and, she said, "never once thought of quitting again."

Though she had many other interests, such as school plays, an acapella group, Chandler musicals, choreography, singing, guitar, acting and reading, her attraction to ballet was the strongest pull.

Family Commitment

The Woodin family has supported Meagan since her early desire to dance. Her parents drove her to ballet every day until she was 16. The move to Randolph presented new strategic problems for the dancer and her family. Meagan was dancing 3-4 times a week, three hours a day at City Center Ballet. Pat, currently the OSSU Elementary Technology Coordinator, spent much of her early days in Randolph driving Meagan to dance, many days returning at 8 or 9 p.m. in time for Meagan to start her homework.

Dance affected the amount of time Meagan had with her family, and affected the lives of her brother and sister. Tim, a young elementary student at the time of the move, was, as Pat says, "dragged to more dance practices than anyone would ever want to watch."

Father Joe pitched in with driving but mostly made sure Tim and Bekah, also in elementary school at the time, were cared for. Once, when Bekah was 10, she was dropped off at the hospital in her baseball uniform following a game. She had to wait for her father during a Gifford Board Meeting. At the end of the meeting she informed her father that she "was sorry he had such a boring job!"

Meagan treasures her infrequent visits home, spending time with Bekah, 16, who plays soccer, lacrosse, and basketball, and can pick up any musical instrument and play it. Tim, now 12, has started to play the drums, loves soccer, basketball, baseball, video games, and "enjoys being funny," she said.

One of Megan’s biggest influences was Kimberly Hackett, her teacher, friend and mentor from The Sharon Academy. Hackett questioned Meagan about "what I was going to do with my dancing career." Meagan said Hackett "regretted most not having moved to NYC earlier and was afraid if I didn’t take this leap I would regret not knowing what could happen."

So after graduating from TSA, Meagan put her college career on hold, deferred admission to prestigious Goucher College in Baltimore, and headed to NYC to immerse herself in the world of dance. She shares an apartment in Queens, N.Y. with a dancer friend from Lebanon.

Bright and Early

A typical day for Meagan is filled with activities: up at 5 a.m., out by 6, meeting fellow dancers to unload, put up the set, warm up for the "Nutcracker" tour with performances at 10 and 12 for schools.

Then there is a workout at the gym, a ballet and/or contemporary dance class—ballet training with Peff Modelski and modern dance classes with Jan Hicks, both at STEPS On Broadway—perhaps followed by a rehearsal and/or an audition. Then it’s home for laundry and a nap. As Meagan said, she is so motivated she would dance every day, "but some days I have to listen to my body and give myself a break."

Teaching for Ballet Academy East in NYC and subbing for dance teachers in New Jersey studios fills in any free time Meagan might have.

One or all of the family attended every show she has been in, and in October went to see Meagan perform in her NYC debut in "Cut Loose," with the Nagunuma Dance company and in December in the "Nutcracker" with Ballet For Young Audiences.

Meagan appreciates her proud parents, and says "They supported me, pushed me and have given me the chance to live my dream and move to NYC. I owe them everything."

‘Energy and Beauty’

Though born and raised in Vermont, Meagan considers herself a "city girl at heart."

"The energy and fast pace of the city makes it always exciting and new. The people you meet and the beauty you stumble upon, makes every day different."

She appreciates Vermont more being away from it, and visits home become special. She sees Vermont as a "beautiful and safe place." There are days when the city overwhelms her, she yearns for a familiar face, and on those days she has to "walk a little slower and try to appreciate this crazy place."

As for the future, the talented Meagan plans to remain in NYC and continue dancing. Audition season is approaching, and she will be busy trying out for companies and upcoming shows.

"I hope to get into a contemporary ballet company in NYC and stay awhile." She is drawn to the beauty of Vermont, and although she does not plan to live in Vermont soon, she said, "I am seriously considering someday raising a family there."

What is Meagan’s advice for others pursuing a dream?

"Just do it. You never know what you can do unless you try. It’s hard and life outside of Vermont is big and competitive." She continued, "My best advice is to give it all you’ve got."

Meagan’s joy, excitement, energy, and determination have rubbed off on Bekah and Tim, said Pat Woodin.

"They are both extremely proud of her and know that if she can move to NYC and pursue her dream, they can do something just as amazing!"

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