St. Michael Teen’s ‘Timeless’ Routine Lands Her in Joffrey Ballet School

It’s a long way from St. Michael-Albertville High School to lower Manhattan.

And we’re not talking mileage.

Haley Foucault’s been dancing since the age of 3. She’s put in more hours on point than many have on their own two feet. She’s hopped in carpool vans at 11 p.m. despite the fact she was out past legal curfew (she just turned 16 a week ago) and she’s done homework until 3 a.m., when she’s literally passed out at her desk.

But all of that – not to mention the summer intensive dance camps, the total lack of social life and the injuries and heartache that comes with competition – paid off with one breathtaking routine in New York.

Haley danced her heart out during her “Timeless” routine in what proved to be an audition for one of the most prestigious artistic schools on this planet. And it didn’t go unnoticed.

You can see the fantastic “Timeless” routine here.

It earned Haley a full scholarship as a "year round trainee" to the Joffrey Ballet in New York City, and a scholarship to one of Joffrey Ballet School’s Summer Intensive camps.

It's a premier opportunity for any dancer, particularly with those specializing in ballet.

“It really is the opportunity of a lifetime,” said her mom, Ann Marie, who is principal at Albertville Primary School and curriculum director for the STMA School District, in addition to being a “dance mom.”

“I want to go,” Haley said, beaming with a smile. “I think I could learn so much more. It’s exciting. I’ve done summer intensives for the past few years but this would be so big.”

Haley’s summer travels, mostly through companies in New York, California and even in Las Vegas, have taken her around the country. Her California opportunity has meant dancing through the summer months down in the Golden State, meaning hours of study and practice while most of her friends are at summer cabins or playing sports.

“You have to work really hard. You need 100 percent effort every single time you take the stage. And the only way to get better is to keep learning,” Haley said. “Different teachers and techniques help so much. So that’s what I’ve tried to do with summers.”

When she’s home during the school year, she’s essentially a “part-time” student at the high school. She leaves school after fourth hour and heads to Cambridge, where she is both a student and an instructor at Northland School of Dance. Her successes there have been documented her on Patch in the past. Now, the trophies mean less than the opportunity to continue to grow as a dancer.

“They’re plastic,” she said of the golden accolades. “In the end, it’s just going out on stage and hoping to do it better than you did the last time.”

And judging can make competitions subjective, Ann Marie said.

“What won on stage in California might not win at a competition over in Minneapolis. It depends on what the judge wants to see. All the girls are very good, technically. So once you score that, it’s just subjective. So we put the emphasis on experience and learning.”

It hasn’t stopped Haley from being an A and B student, something Ann Marie said she and her husband, John, insist from her.

“If her grades suffered, things would change. She’s found a way to do it all, though.”

Haley said she’ll dance as long as she can, but eventually she’ll go to school.

“I’d probably go into biomedical engineering,” she said. “That would mean no more dancing and a lot more studying.”

So what would she do if she couldn’t dance?

“I’d be singing. Or play volleyball,” she said. “And I’m really terrible at both. But I love them.”

Fortunately for the art, she’s one of the most decorated dancers St. Michael has ever seen. Where that takes her is going to fun for everyone to find out.