Exemplary Eagle: High School Senior Rebecca T.

The Graded Gazette


While Graded students were wrapping up their semester and preparing for a relaxing school break last December, senior Rebecca T. was immersed in a world of waltzing snowflakes and flowers. 

Her afternoons were spent at Auditório Ibirapuera and Teatro Santander, rehearsing for Cisne Negro Cia de Dança’s production of The Nutcracker.   

Each production, as the curtain rose, snow began falling, and guests were welcomed to a holiday party. Rebecca emerged as a street sweeper during the party scene—her first appearance on stage.  

“A couple of girls and I would sweep the snow,” she said. “We were dressed in all black and carried brooms. While they were changing the scenery, we would be there, sweeping like there was no tomorrow.”

Then, she went backstage to prepare for her role in the March of the Toy Soldiers. After defeating a battalion of mice and their king, she and her fellow soldiers dashed offstage. 

Rebecca’s night was far from over. She had just nine frantic minutes to transform into an angel adorned with delicate wings in time to gracefully glide back in for her final role of the night. 

“The next day, I would go to school and do it all over again that evening,” she said. 

Rebecca (center) as a snowflake in Estúdio de Dança Cisne Negro's production of  The Nutcracker.


Inspired by the TV show and book series Angelina Ballerina, Rebecca had dreamed of being en pointe since she was three years old. 

“I just loved that Angelina was always wearing her pointe shoes. Her friends had different colored pointe shoes, and I really wanted to wear them,” she said. “But the funniest thing was that when I ended up putting them on, I did not understand how Angelina did it because wearing them is really painful!” 

Ballet has been part of Rebecca’s routine for more than a decade. After the school day is done and her extracurricular activities are over, she heads straight to Estúdio de Dança Cisne Negro, where she spends up to two and a half hours perfecting her port de bras and adagios. Her next role? Spinning across the stage as the tornado in The Wizard of Oz, which debuts in October 2024. 

Beyond ballet, Rebecca uses her time at Graded to explore many passions. A Graded lifer and daughter of an alum, she embodies true Graded spirit through active involvement in numerous clubs and activities. Rebecca currently serves as the news editor for The Talon, co-leads Bricks for Community and Femolution, and participates in HACIA and the High School Book Club.

In the classroom, her teachers describe her as an enthusiastic, analytical, and persistent learner who, despite the demanding schedule required for her performances, consistently manages to stay ahead in her academic work.

Rebecca backstage as the Winter Fairy in Estúdio de Dança Cisne Negro's production of  Cinderella.

 
“What is particularly remarkable is Rebecca’s ability to excel both academically and in her extracurricular pursuits,” said Anita Abrams, Rebecca’s biology teacher. “She is a confident learner who often takes on a teaching role in the classroom, effectively guiding her peers through complex biological concepts. Her blend of determination, balance, and excellence will continue to serve her well as she pursues her future goals.”

After graduation, Rebecca aspires to live abroad, pursue a degree in liberal arts, either in the humanities or biology, and explore career options. While she plans to retire her pointe shoes, she will always keep ballet close to her heart.

“In the future, I see myself as an admirer of the art,” she said. “I intend to be that person who, every time there is a new show in the theater, will be there watching.”