Whiz Kid: Dancing with Care

Rachel Soltesz, 10

School:  Rachel is a fourth grader at Canyon Vista Elementary School.

Keys to her Awesomeness: Rachel dances ballet for a non-profit dance theater group.  She began performing in the Ballet’s annual performance of the Nutcracker at age five and has been assigned two to four different roles each year.  When friends come to watch her show, Rachel always gives them a handwritten card thanking them for their support.  In addition to ballet, she has also performed as a cast member for various shows at the Center Stage Studio in Aliso Viejo. 

Her favorite acting performance was when she played Lumiere, the candlestick from Beauty and the Beast.  She said it was fun to dress up as an object and she enjoyed speaking with an accent for the play. 

Rachel says that she loves dancing the most of everything she does.  When she dances, Rachel says that “the music pulls me through and takes me into another world.”

Community Connection:  Active in Girl Scouts and her church group, Rachel has participated in many different community events and activities.  She has helped to supply underprivileged children with basic supplies for school and camp experiences.  This summer, she will be knitting hats with her Girl Scout troop.  The hats will be given to young cancer patients.  She is also a terrific helper to many of the teachers at her school. She enjoys helping out in the classroom and working with younger children. 

Interesting Facts:  Rachel’s parents immigrated to America from Czechoslovakia before Rachel was born.  Rachel’s mother began teaching her the Czech language when she was five and she now speaks both languages fluently.

What’s in the Future:  Rachel would like to be a professional dancer with the American Ballet Theatre.  She would also like to be a dance teacher.