Alina Cheltenham has been accepted into a program with the Alvin Ailey American Dance Theater. She applied because she has been attending Alvin Ailey’s performances from a very early age. The dance company has always inspired her. It is one of the leading professional companies in the country and was founded by an African-American choreographer. They prioritize inclusion and the African-American dance experience which is very important and relatable to her. She had to meet certain requirements to apply, including being both classic ballet trained and trained in modern/contemporary dance. Once she was accepted to audition, she went to New York in February for a 3 hour audition.  She got her acceptance into the program two weeks later. It is for dancers ages 16-25. There are both online and multiple in person auditions across the country with thousands of submissions each year. Once accepted, the internship is a 5 week session that offers an opportunity to take technique classes with their professional faculty and guest artists in the heart of New York City's theater district. It is a rigorous program that trains from 8am-6pm every week day.  Through the program she wishes to learn new techniques that will help her improve her skills along with being able to experience a part of the professional dance world and what that is like. She also wants to build connections with other dancers, teachers, and choreographers. Overall, she hopes to become a better artist and person. This means a lot to her because dancing means a lot to her. She started dancing when she was 2 years old and has been training pre-professionally for 9 years. She loves dancing because it gives her an outlet to express herself through movement. Dancing allows her to be creative and artistic in new ways.