Jane Shelton Pursues Passion for Dance at SMU

Senior Jane Shelton will continue her arts career at Southern Methodist University. As a 3A’s school, Fort Worth Country Day recognizes when its students continue their arts and athletic passions. Shelton was honored in front of the Upper School, with family members present, at a signing in one of her “second homes,” the FWCD Scott Theater, on Friday, April 26. Following the announcement, she performed excerpts of the spring ballet recital with her ballet classmates and then celebrated with her senior classmates in the Lou and Nick Martin Campus Center. 

A member of Fort Worth Country Day’s ballet program since fourth grade, Shelton chose to further her technique, studying after school as a dancer in the Gayle Corkery School of Ballet, now the FWCD Ballet Conservatory, and attending prestigious summer ballet programs. Shelton plans to pursue a double major: dance at the Meadows School of the Arts, where she will study ballet and modern and jazz technique, and business at the Cox School of Business.

“Jane is such a talented dancer, and because of her hard work and dedication, she is able to continue on her journey to become a professional ballet dancer,” said Carrie Cheng, Director of Ballet at FWCD and the Ballet Conservatory. 

FWCD and Conservatory Ballet Teacher Natalie Bracken ’05 has also taught Shelton. “Jane’s passion and love of dance has never wavered. She excelled from an early age but has realized her full potential through hard work and dedication to her craft,” she said. “What I admire most about Jane is that her path in ballet hasn’t always been easy. She faced some obstacles with her health and injuries that might have caused others to stop dancing, but Jane pushed through with a smile and a positive attitude. While I am thrilled she has decided to continue dancing in college, I hope that she knows even if she never danced another day in her life, we would still be proud of her.”