IN THE SPOTLIGHT
with Sara Ballon

By David Abril

 

 

 

If we had a contest for the most traveled student here at Go Dance, Sara Ballon would be hard to beat.

 

Sara, who has been a student at Go Dance for nearly a year and a half, has lived in Israel, taught English for a summer in the Baltic states and traveled through Eastern Europe, among others.

 

In August, Sara will be adding Sao Paolo, Brazil to her list of residences, where she will be spending the next two years teaching fifth grade at the American School of Sao Paolo.

 

Although we are sad to say goodbye to her for awhile, we here at Go Dance are excited for Sara and the opportunities that await her in Brazil. She is the subject of this month's In the Spotlight.

 

 

Hi Sara, so we know you have traveled to many places around the world, what attracted you to Brazil?

 

I knew that I wanted to teach abroad and I had a list of criteria for selecting places to go. At the top of the list, actually, was a culture that valued dance. So of course, Brazil came to mind – dance is a huge part of the culture there. I'm also excited about learning a new language and visiting some of the neighboring countries, including Peru, Chile and Argentina. I'm actually learning a little bit of Tango so that I can know a little when I go to Argentina. I'm excited just to see Tango being danced in Buenos Aires, but maybe I'll learn a little while I'm there. Brazil is also very multicultural and has a lot of immigrants from Japan and Italy, among others. Because of that, the food is supposed to be amazing and it's rumored to have the best pizza!

 

It takes guts to leave behind your life and start anew in a different country. Are you at all anxious doing that?

 

A lot of people tell me that. For some people it takes a lot of guts, but I've traveled to many places in the world and love to learn about other people and cultures, so I see it as an opportunity. In fact, as a teacher, I usually travel during the summer break as a way of recharging my batteries. As far as my job goes, I teach fifth grade now for Round Rock I.S.D and will be doing the same thing there. I think to myself, how could I not go?

 

Anything you'll miss about Austin?

 

I love Austin and will miss it. I know it will still be here when I get back. I'm sure things will change: there will be new buildings and some restaurants may have closed and new ones may have opened, but there will always be Shiner Bock and chips and salsa, so I know that Austin will be waiting for me when I get back. I'll also miss Go Dance because it has been a big part of my life for the past year and a half. I always feel cheesy when I say this, but I really do have fond memories about when I started here because I had so much fun in those first classes, especially those level 1 classes with Rowdy and Howard on Sundays. It was such a great a way to spend an afternoon!  Learning how to dance has opened up a social world and made me a happier person.  It's a skill I can take with me and use wherever I go. I recently went to a wedding where we danced almost everything and I even had people coming up and telling me how good we looked on the floor. It made me think back to all the weddings I'd been to and wished that I had learned earlier! I also watched some older couples there dancing together and having a great time. I hope that when I'm 60 I'll be dancing with the same smile on my face.

 

Best Wishes Sara!

With Love,

You Go Dance Family