人生“舞”士:芭蕾少女米凯拉·德普林斯
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Pick an afternoon on any day of the week， and chances are you'll find Michaela DePrince in front of a wall of mirrors. It's not a vanity2） thing. "I personally hate them，" says the seventeen-year-old rising ballerina， "but they help me focus on every detail when I'm working on technique." Whether she's gliding across the floor en pointe3） in class at American Ballet Theatre （ABT）'s4） prestigious Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis （JKO） School in New York City or rehearsing5） for an upcoming gala6） performance， she perfects each movement through the looking glass.
Michaela landed7） a coveted8） spot in ABT's preprofessional division in 2010 after making an appearance at the annual Youth America Grand Prix （YAGP）， the world's largest student ballet competition， and a camera crew trailed9） her for an entire year leading up to the big event. She's one of the stars of the new documentary10） First Position. Released in May， it follows six gifted young dancers who face immense pressure and fierce competition as they vie11） for a place in an elite12） ballet company or school. For Michaela， however， the journey to becoming a ballerina at the JKO School is about much more than just hard work and sacrifice； hers is truly an against-all-odds story.
一周随便哪天下午，你都可能在一面装满镜子的墙壁前见到米凯拉·德普林斯。这可不是因为她爱臭美。“就我个人来说，我很不喜欢照镜子，”这位冉冉升起的17岁芭蕾新星说，“不过，在我磨练舞蹈技巧的时候，它们能让我关注到每个细节。”无论是在美国芭蕾舞剧院设在纽约的久负盛名的杰奎琳·肯尼迪·奥纳西斯学院的课堂上踮起脚尖轻盈地滑过地面，还是在为某一场即将到来的盛大演出排练，她都会借助墙上的镜子让每一个动作尽善尽美。
在一年一度的美国青少年舞蹈大赛上亮相后，米凯拉于2010年在美国芭蕾舞剧院专业预备组赢得了梦寐以求的一席之地。美国青少年舞蹈大赛是世界上规模最大的学生芭蕾舞竞赛，而在米凯拉参加这次大赛之前，一个电影摄制组对她进行了整整一年的跟踪拍摄。她是新纪录片《起点》的主人公之一。这部5月（编注：2012年5月）上映的纪录片介绍了六位天资出众的年轻芭蕾舞者，他们在争取进入顶级芭蕾舞团或芭蕾舞学校的过程中，面临着巨大的压力和激烈的竞争。而对米凯拉而言，在成为杰奎琳·肯尼迪·奥纳西斯学院芭蕾舞者的道路上，她付出的远不止刻苦训练和牺牲奉献，她的经历真正算得上是一个克服重重困难的故事。
An Orphan with a Dream
Long before Michaela was on the path to pursuing her dance dreams， she lived in a total nightmare. Michaela was born in 1995 in Sierra Leone， a small West African country that was ravaged13） by civil war between 1991 and 2002. When Michaela was just three， her beloved father was shot and killed by rebels. Only a week later， her mom died from starvation. An uncle whisked14） Michaela away to an orphanage15）， where she became known as Number 27. "We were all ranked from the most favored to the least， and I was at the very bottom for being rebellious16） and having a skin condition called vitiligo17）， which produces white freckles18） on my neck and chest，" she says. "They called me 'devil child'." She shared a grass sleeping mat with Number 26， a girl named Mia， who was shunned19） for being left-handed； the two became inseparable.
One windy day， a magazine with a cover photograph of a beautiful， smiling ballerina in a tutu20） and pointe shoes21） was swept up against a fence in the yard where Michaela played. She tore off the cover and hid it underneath her clothing. "I was in such a bad situation， so the fact that this person was so happy and enjoying life—it made me hope that I could be that happy someday，" she says. When a couple from New Jersey arrived soon afterward to adopt Mia， they were told that Michaela would never find a home， so they adopted her too.
After a fruitless search through her new mom's bag for toe shoes， Michaela showed her the magazine photo. Michaela's parents decided to enroll her in the Rock School for Dance Education in Philadelphia. When her family moved to Vermont six years later， she continued her dance studies at a local ballet school， but it lacked the professional rigor22） she craved23）. Eventually， she returned to the Rock School alone. At thirteen， she began boarding there full-time and enrolled in an online high school. "I missed my family desperately， but ballet is what I wanted to do，" she says.
爱追梦的小孤女
远在米凯拉踏上追逐舞蹈梦想的道路之前，她的生活完全就是一个梦魇。米凯拉于1995年出生在塞拉利昂，1991～2002年间的内战使这个西非小国饱受蹂躏。米凯拉年仅三岁时，她深爱的父亲被叛军枪杀了。仅仅一周之后，她的母亲也饿死了。她的一位叔叔旋即把她送进一家孤儿院，在那里，她成了大家熟知的“27号”。“我们全都按受欢迎程度从高到低被编了号，由于我不听话，又患有白癜风，脖子上和胸前长了白斑，所以被排在最后，”米凯拉说，“他们叫我‘像恶魔一样的孩子’。”她和“26号”同睡一张草席。“26号”是一个叫米娅的女孩，大家都躲着她，因为她是个左撇子。米凯拉和米娅变得形影不离。
一个大风天，米凯拉在院子里玩耍时，一本杂志被风刮到了院子的围栏上，那本杂志的封面用的是一位芭蕾演员的照片，她穿着芭蕾舞裙和舞鞋，面带微笑，十分美丽。米凯拉撕下那张封面，藏在衣服里。“我当时的处境那么糟糕，因此看到这个如此幸福、乐享人生的人，就不由得希望有一天我也能像她那样幸福。”她说。在不久后，一对来自新泽西州的夫妇前来领养米娅，当他们听说永远也不会有人领养米凯拉时，就连她一起领养了。
米凯拉把新妈妈的包翻了个遍，想找到一双芭蕾舞鞋，但却一无所获，于是把那张杂志上的照片拿给妈妈看。米凯拉的父母决定送她去费城的洛克舞蹈学校上学。六年后，她们全家搬到了佛蒙特州，她就在当地的一所芭蕾舞学校继续学习。然而，那所学校缺乏她所渴望的那种专业性的严格要求，最后，她只身返回了洛克舞蹈学校。13岁时，她开始了在这所学校的全日制寄宿生活，还报了一所中学网校学习。她说：“那时我想家想得要命，但是我想跳芭蕾。”
Dancing Against Discrimination
Following this dream hasn't been easy. Along the way， Michaela has had to battle racism within the ballet world. "When I was eight， I was cast24） to play Marie in The Nutcracker， and I prepared hard for it. But right before the show， I was told that someone else would be dancing the part because 'people aren't ready for a black Marie'，" she recalls. She seriously considered quitting ballet until she got the chance to see black dancer Heidi Cruz perform with Pennsylvania Ballet. "I was like， 'Wow， she's amazing！' She inspired me to keep dancing，" Michaela says.
At five feet four and a half inches， Michaela is shorter and more muscular25） than the "typical" ballerina， and a teacher once told her she didn't have the body to be a professional dancer—a common bias26） against black ballerinas. "Many people believe that black women shouldn't be ballet dancers， because they think we don't have classic ballet bodies，" Michaela says. "I was once told black dancers don't have good feet， so I worked hard to make my feet have a classical line. Now people don't say that to me anymore."
In addition， the lack of diversity in the ballet world is all too clear whenever she gets new costumes or shoes. While pink and white are the standard colors for balletwear （designed to blend with fair skin）， they clash with Michaela's ebony27） complexion28）， so her mom often hand-dyes her pointe shoes and costume a deep brown.
Despite these challenges， Michaela's determined to press on29）， saying， "I want to inspire other girls who wish to pursue ballet." She also credits30） her parents' support for giving her the courage to go after her goal. For her performance at YAGP in 2007， her mom created a tutu from an old wedding dress， and it remains Michaela's favorite piece. "She hand-stitched 1000 tiny crystals onto it！ I felt like a princess，" she says.
Indeed， when Michaela stands before the mirror， rises en pointe， and then extends one leg straight up toward the ceiling， she radiates31） the quiet confidence of someone who could be royalty—a far cry from32） the little girl known as Number 27. Today， Michaela sees her difficult early years as a source of strength. "I take what's in my past and put it in my body，" she says. "My life is proof that no matter what situation you're in， as long as you have a supportive family， you can achieve anything."
直面歧视的“舞”士
追逐这个梦想并不容易。一路走来，米凯拉总是不得不和芭蕾舞行业内的种族歧视抗争。“八岁时，我被分配在《胡桃夹子》中扮演玛丽（编注：《胡桃夹子》的女主人公）一角，为了这个角色，我进行了刻苦的准备。但就在演出开始前，我被告知这个角色将由别人出演，因为‘人们还没有做好接受一个黑皮肤玛丽的心理准备’。”米凯拉回忆道。她曾认真考虑过放弃芭蕾，直到她有机会看到了黑人舞蹈家海蒂·克鲁兹与宾夕法尼亚芭蕾舞团的演出。“我当时感觉，‘哇哦，她太棒了！’是她激励我继续跳下去。”米凯拉说。
米凯拉身高5英尺4.5英寸，比“标准的”芭蕾演员个头矮些、体格壮实些。有一个老师曾经告诉她，她不具备职业舞蹈家的身材——这是针对黑人芭蕾舞演员的普遍偏见。“很多人认为黑人女性不该跳芭蕾，因为他们觉得我们的身材不是跳芭蕾舞的标准身材，”米凯拉说，“有人曾对我说黑人舞者的足型不好，于是我努力训练使自己的双脚拥有了标准的弧线。现在再也没有人对我说这样的话了。”
此外，每当米凯拉拿到新的演出服装或舞鞋时，芭蕾舞行业内缺乏多样性的特质便显露无遗。尽管粉色和白色是芭蕾服装的标准用色（用来和白皙的肤色相称），但它们和米凯拉黝黑的肤色很不协调。因此，妈妈经常要亲手把米凯拉的舞鞋和舞裙染成深棕色。
尽管存在着这么多挑战，米凯拉仍意志坚定地努力前行。她说：“我要激励其他有志于从事芭蕾舞行业的女孩。”她还把自己追逐梦想的勇气归功于父母的支持。为了她在2007年美国青少年舞蹈大赛中的比赛，她的妈妈用一条旧婚纱为她做了一条芭蕾舞裙，那条舞裙现在依然是米凯拉最心爱的一条。“妈妈亲手在上面缝了1000颗小水晶。穿着它，我觉得自己就像个公主。”她说。
确实，当米凯拉站在镜子前，踮起脚尖，一条腿笔直地向上抬起，她浑身散发出一种皇室贵族般的恬静自信的气息，与当年那个叫 “27号”的小女孩完全判若两人。如今，米凯拉将她充满磨难的童年视作力量的源泉。“我从过去的生活中汲取力量，”米凯拉说，“我的经历证明，无论你身处何种环境，只要有家人的支持，就能实现一切梦想。”
1. ballerina [?b?l??ri?n?] n. 芭蕾演员
2. vanity [?v?n?ti] n. 虚荣（心）
3. en pointe： 【芭蕾舞】 踮起脚尖
4. American Ballet Theatre： 美国芭蕾舞剧院，成立于1937年，总部设在美国纽约，是世界最负盛名的芭蕾舞团之一。
5. rehearse [r??h??s] vi. 参加排练（或练习）
6. gala [?ɡɑ?l?] n.
盛会；（特别）演出
7. land [l?nd] vt. 赢得；得到
8. covet [?k?v?t] vt. 渴望
9. trail [tre?l] vt. 跟踪；追踪
10. documentary [?d?kju?mentri] n. 纪录片
11. vie [va?] vi. 竞争
12. elite [e??li?t] adj. 杰出的，精英的
13. ravage [?r?v?d?] vt. 毁坏，蹂躏
14. whisk [w?sk] vt. 飞快带走
15. orphanage [???f?n?d?] n. 孤儿院
16. rebellious [r??belj?s] adj. 桀骜不驯的
17. vitiligo [?v?t??la?ɡ??] n. 白癜风
18. freckle [?frekl] n. 雀斑
19. shun [??n] vt. （故意地或习惯地）避开，回避
20. tutu [?tu?tu?] n. （芭蕾演员穿的）短裙
21. pointe shoe： 芭蕾舞鞋
22. rigor [?r?ɡ?（r）] n. 严格
23.crave [kre?v] vt. 渴望
得到
24. cast [kɑ?st] vt. 分配……扮演某角色
25. muscular [?m?skj?l?（r）] adj. 肌肉发达的；强壮的
26. bias [?ba??s] n. 偏见
27. ebony [?eb?ni] adj. 乌黑发亮的
28. complexion [k?m?plek?n] n. 肤色
29. press on： 奋进，（不顾困难地）继续进行
30. credit [?kred?t] vt. 把……归功于
31. radiate [?re?die?t] vt. 流露，焕发
32. a far cry from： 和……相距很远，和……大相径庭