BY HALEY VELASCO
Pearland ISD student to compete in Swiss ‘Olympics in Dance’ For Aubrey Daniels, it’s the love for the stage that she said keeps her coming back. “The stage is my favorite place,” she said. “I love touching the souls of audience members and impacting them, and I love just portraying our artistry and stories on stage.” Daniels, a tenth grader at Dawson High School, has been practicing ballet since she was three years old. Those years of practice have brought her to the precipice of international success, as she traveled to Switzerland in February to compete in the Prix de Lausanne, a ballet competition for those ages 15-18. Amid her busy life, which includes nding 20 hours per week to practice dance, helping advocate for educational policy at the state level and playing piano at Carnegie Hall during her winter break, Daniels said it’s all about keeping her priorities straight. The big picture For 2025, a total of 86 dancers across 42 coun- tries were picked for the competition, according to the competition’s website. In addition to being just one of 10 U.S. girls selected for the competition, Daniels is also the rst ballerina in the Greater Houston area to be selected for this competition in nine years, Daniels’ mother Kate Jiang said. “We’re de nitely very proud of her,” Jiang said. “Being a ballet dancer, it takes years of dedication, and you don’t see dancers climb up that high.”
Daniels was one of 86 dancers selected throughout the world for the competition.
PHOTOS COURTESY KATE JIANG
Daniels also plays piano, participates in the rodeo and helps advocate for educational policy at the state level.
Daniels said she has to practice dancing 20 hours a week while also balancing school.
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PEARLAND FRIENDSWOOD EDITION
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