Who is Claire Hennessey?
I am Claire Read Hennessey. Born, on January 5th, 2001, and raised in Madison, CT, in the same house my whole life. I live with my parents, my brother, Patrick, who is 12 years old, and our cat, Siobhan. My family is very important to me and like most teenagers, I can get upset with my parents for what I feel is unfair, but in the end, I realize they are looking out for me and I would never want to compromise our relationship. For without them, I would not be here today. My friends are also very important to me, especially since we are not only able to have fun together, but we challenge each other, each growing as individuals, and strengthening our friendships.
Since my first dance class when I was just under three years old, this incredible form of art has been my passion. I mostly focus on ballet and Irish step dancing and have had incredible opportunities for both styles. I always have loved expressing myself through dance, and I know it’s not a sport, but trust me I get fair share of exercise. Just last week, someone asked me a question, after I was complaining about how I had so much homework and had to go to three and a half hours of ballet that night in New Haven. He said, “Why do you like dancing, and put yourself through the pain and the discipline, when you can’t win anything in the end?” I feel like a common reason many sports players put themselves through the pain of their sport is to improve their skills, and in the end, win. But with dance, this is not the case. I began to think about this question and what it really meant to me. I thought about all the negative aspects of dance, and specifically ballet for this question. There are a lot crazy aspects of ballet and some of the worst don’t even have anything to do with dancing, like the pressure of a certain body type. A very scary yet believable fact is that 83% of dancers have met lifetime criteria of having an eating disorder. This ideal body type, including tall body, small head, small bust, slim hips, long arms and legs, and thin enough to see bones, is sadly the first thing large companies look at before even seeing the person’s talent. Although my ultimate goal is not to become a professional dancer, I still feel these pressures day to day. Along with the obvious aspects that are particularly unpleasurable about ballet, like forcing your legs to turn out beyond natural human capabilities, bending your body into abnormal positions that seem to be impossible, and supporting your body weight on your first three toes in shoes made of wood, I realized there are so many reasons to love ballet. Ballet has taught me dedication, and even though there is nothing to win, dancers are always striving to reach perfection in every step they do. Another important life lesson from ballet is discipline. Many people are surprised when I say I go through every class and rehearsal only talking when called upon to ask a question. Just like every other form of art, ballet allows me to express myself in ways that are difficult to put in words. I also gain great satisfaction when I am able to master a certain skill. This is translated into my life, both in and out of school, as I am highly motivated to be the best version of myself there is. In the end, just because I don’t want to pursue ballet as a career, that doesn’t mean at this moment I don’t put all my effort into improving my technique.
My mom's side of the family in Gangi, Sicily, where my grandfather's ancestors were from.
My mom’s interest in our heritage has influenced me to want to learn more about where my family came from to be where we are today. I have Irish ancestors from three of my four grandparents, hence the name Hennessey, and my mom’s dad’s family is Sicilian. While none of my grandparents are first generation, with the help from various family members, we have learned a lot about our heritage on both sides of my family. The importance of travel and learning about different cultures is extremely important to my parents, so growing up I have had the luxury of traveling to many places around the world and even visit where my ancestors lived in both Ireland and Sicily. I noticed growing up that many kids don’t particularly like learning about ancient cultures because they feel no connection to the people and events of the time. I think everyone gains a deeper understanding of the times when they are actually able to visit these places and learn the history first hand. I understand not everyone has the opportunity to do such things, which is why I am especially grateful for these experiences.
Most recently, this summer, I traveled to Ireland with an elite team of Irish step dancers, selected based on our results of a feis, or competition. This was an incredible experience, not only to dance around the country, but to learn about the culture of a place my family is from. We met kids our age, who, even though we are separated by an ocean, share the love of dance and music. We were able to see the incredible landmarks Ireland is known for, such as the Blarney Stone, the Cliffs of Moher, Kilkenny Castle, the Rock of Cashel, the Ring of Kerry, and more. I loved being with all my friends and sharing our heritage together by loudly, and proudly, singing pub songs from Molly Malone to Wild Rover. I also learned responsibility by traveling to another country without my parents.
My hard work and determination, as seen in other aspects of my life like dance, is also seen in my school work. I am highly motivated, and from a young age, have always loved learning. This year, as I am taking all honors classes, I feel that I am able to be challenged and grow as a student and person. This e-portfolio will show my growth this year and help me analyze myself to discover what aspects I do well, and what I need to work on. This year, I hope to take more academic risks, to further my growth. This also will be recorded in my e-portfolio. I am a goal-oriented person, and each year I strive for accomplishments like high honors. On the other hand, I realize that grades are not everything, and it is very important that I am learning, and applying what I learn to aspects of life, other than just school. One of my goals in life, is to become a doctor. I have always liked helping people, and last year during biology class, I realized I am interested in topics during the human-biology related units. I feel that if I continue on the path I am on regarding my work ethic and interest in continuing to learn, I will be able to accomplish my goals.