April 11, 2021
Tuscaloosa, Ala- Laying in a white hospital bed in Jackson, Mississippi, Taylor Binkley woke up from her surgery groggy and scared. The beeping of the machines, the IV in her arm, and the sterile smell of the room were overwhelming, but all Binkley could think of was whether the surgery was successful. After all, it was a surgery that could change her life forever.
Binkley had just gone through an hour and a half operation on her left hip. The required surgery was to fix the labral tear she had received after 17 years of strenuous use while dancing. She and her family waited with bated breathes to hear the two things the doctor could say to make her feel better from the dulling pain she was feeling: Was the surgery successful and when would she be able to dance again?
Binkley, now a sophomore at The University of Alabama, started dancing when she was just three years old at the Mississippi Metropolitan Dance Academy. She grew up like several young girls with the dream to become a professional ballerina. One of her earliest memories was going to dance rehearsals after school, carpooling with friends, and grabbing ice cream on the way back. She said getting food afterward was the reason she liked to dance as a child– a good reason too.
Her younger self could not imagine where she would be now. Over time, her enjoyment of picking up food subsided and was replaced simply by her love for dance. The first type of dance she learned was ballet, and not long after, it became her favorite style. When she was only nine years old, she made the Mississippi Metropolitan Ballet Company, which put on full productions such as Cinderella, Beauty and The Beast, and The Princess and The Pea. Around middle school, when most of the girls stopped dancing and started focusing on other things like school, Binkley found her passion for dance and started devoting her time to it.
Some of Binkley’s teachers, friends, and family had told her that she had potential in the artistic sport, but as a young girl, she didn’t believe it. However, in eighth grade, Binkley earned the lead role as Clara in her company’s production of The Nutcracker. This moment was when Taylor fell in love with dance and when she knew she wanted to pursue it even after high school. However, the time in between was filled with excitement and challenges that led her to where she is now.
Several of Binkley’s best memories are on stage with her friends. Binkley said, “it’s my absolute thing ever… it’s really overwhelming. It’s hard to put into words because you got the spotlight or the lights are going crazy, and you’re are next to people that you really genuinely love.”
Three of these people that she loves to dance alongside are Anna Claire Nelson, Anna Bergeron, and Taylor’s younger sister, Brelyn Binkley. Nelson a friend of both Binkley sisters said, “I admire Taylor for her integrity and wisdom… In terms of dancing, I grew up admiring Taylor. Her talent is outstanding. Even at a young age, I could not help but sit on the side and watch her for hours.”
Nelson also mentioned that Binkley was the team captain and led with encouragement and positive feedback. Bergeron, who now dances at Mississippi State said that she will cherish dancing with Binkley on their high school dance team because it brought them closer together. Bergeron said, “Taylor is a unique dancer because of her confidence. That is something that I struggle with as a dancer, and she always helped bring out [the] confidence in me. She has amazing turns that no one can compare to, and her lines are insane...”
Binkley’s character and passion for dancing are clearly evident by the way her friends and family talk about her. On the other side, Binkley has high regard for her friends and sister as well. She said that dancing with Brelyn, “has been the best ever because we grew up together dancing… and we have [a] very close relationship because of it, and I can’t watch her dance without crying.”
Brelyn gushed about her sister just as much. Brelyn said, “Being able to grow up and dance with my sister has definitely made our bond stronger because I was always able to look up to her. I got to see how strong she grew every day, and I always wanted to be like that…”
Binkley had met great friends through dance, and even found a calling for it. However, she still had to overcome some obstacles along the way. Throughout high school and the many company productions, she received parts and lead roles she enjoyed. With this being said, Binkley did not get every main part and had to re-evaluate why she enjoyed dancing. Was it because of the part she had or her overall love for it? Binkley decided on the latter. Despite the disappointment of not getting every lead role, Binkley said “I really had to think about the bigger picture… I don’t dance to get these main roles, … I dance because I truly love it.”
Another thing Binkley had to overcome was a lack of self-confidence with body image starting her senior year. Dancers, similar to models are known for being very small, and Binkley was all too aware of that. She said there was a balance she had to find between eating healthy and finding confidence in herself. With her senior year ending and college approaching, Binkley also felt the pressure of others’ ideas and opinions on what to get a degree in weighing in on her. Some of her friends were talking about pursuing majors in nursing and engineering, while she was solely thinking of dance. Plus, it didn’t help that where she lived wasn’t an advocate of making a living off of the arts. Binkley said, “Mississippi… [and] the southeast isn’t very artsy, and so, I always felt the pressure to go to Ole Miss or Mississippi State… and just major in something normal.”
Therefore, Binkley devoted half of her time to school and classes for the practicality of it, but she put in time for the other half to hold on to the dream of dancing professionally. With the support of her family, especially her parents’ wise advice of using the gifts that God had given her to do something she loves over a job she does not, Binkley decided to attend UA and major in dance. She says that it has been one of the best decisions because it has opened her eyes to the different opportunities in the dance industry.
When Taylor arrived as a freshman at UA she decided on double majoring in dance and general business, but as her time in the program increased, she decided to drop her business major to a minor, allowing her to put more time in dance. Binkley stated that she was drawn to the Alabama dance program because of the flexibility it afforded her and the multiple dance programs within the college such as Dance Alabama, Dance Marathon, the Film Festival, and the Dance Honor Society of Alabama.
Binkley also found her now roommate and best friend through the UA dance program. Caroline McGrath, also a sophomore dance major, and Binkley became fast friends their freshman year, despite focusing on different styles (Binkley- ballet and contemporary; McGrath- contemporary and jazz). They have both choreographed together and learned from one another’s skill set. Binkley said, “it’s really cool because we get to support each other.”
Through Binkley’s freshman year she grew in skill and character. Binkley started to get opportunities to choreograph and judge dance competitions. After high school, she got a job with the Universal Dance Association where she can work summer camps and judge competitions. Binkley also was hired by Madison Ridgeland Academy, a private high school in her hometown to choreograph for the dance team. Madison Ridgeland’s dance team has won the past two years with Binkley as their choreographer. Binkley was making large steps towards her dreams; however, when she was back home in the summer going into her sophomore year, she felt a pain in the side of her hip while dancing. Her dream suddenly was put on halt.
To find the cause of the pain, Binkley went to the doctors and got an MRI where she found out she had a hip impingement that was causing the socket and ball of her hip to rub together. It caused her excruciating pain and limited her flexibility. Over her winter break of sophomore year, Binkley decided to have surgery to fix it. Fortunately, the surgery was successful; however, she would not be able to walk for a while and her recovery period would be five months– the longest she had gone without dancing since she started. However, Binkley found the positive in the situation by doing whatever she could to stay involved with dance, even if it was behind the scenes.
McGrath said, “… I don’t think I have seen her strive to get more involved in whatever she could. She continued to give tours as a dance ambassador, and also signed up to be the rehearsal director for one of our shows’ pieces, just to be around dancing… seeing her be persistent even in the face of injury and recovery was just amazing to me.”
Both McGrath and Binkley cannot wait until they can start dancing together again. However, they might have to wait a little longer. Unfortunately, Binkley found out that her right hip would also have to be operated on this summer. Until then, Binkley is doing everything to keep her dreams of joining a professional company after college a reality. She is also looking into becoming an art administrator where she would direct the business and marketing side of a dance company.
Binkley’s future is bright no matter her circumstances because she has built her foundation on passion and surrounded herself with friends, family, and her faith. Binkley’s love for dance is evident and inspiring. Binkley said, “it is a privilege to be able to dance,” but in reality, it is a privilege to watch someone so enthusiastic do something they love.
Commentaires