The Forge would like to highlight Madelyne Herbert for this edition’s Artist of the Month. Madelyne is a junior at Santa Barbara High School who has a passion for dance. She does a number of different genres, including contemporary, jazz and ballet, but focuses mostly on ballet. 

Madelyne grew up in Santa Barbara and has been dancing for 14 years. Her parents put her into classes at a very young age, and over the years she has grown to love dance. Over time, Madelyne started to pursue her passion more seriously and put more time and work into dancing. She has grown up dancing at State Street Ballet Academy and has grown a close connection to the academy as well as her fellow dancers. 

Madelyne prefers to perform in shows rather than at competitions. This includes performing every year in “The Nutcracker” at the Granada and doing other performances around the United States. Madelyne has been able to travel to different states to perform for other companies. 

When asked about one of her proudest moments in her dancing career, Madelyne answered that it was playing the role of Clara in “The Nutcracker” in 2020. Although she has been the lead for a few different shows with the academy, playing the lead in the classic Christmas ballet is surely something she takes much pride in and holds close to her. Madelyne is also a part of the Multimedia Arts and Design Academy (MAD) at Santa Barbara High School. Through the academy, she has explored a few different mediums of art but has especially focused on dance photography. She says, “It’s two things that I enjoy, and it’s so fun to bring them together.” 

Many supportive teachers have helped her through her dancing journey, one in particular making an impact on her. “She has shown me that I can follow my dreams no matter what. No matter how impractical they may seem, and that has been really helpful for me.” Along with looking up to her teachers, Madelyne is inspired by strong women who work hard and can advocate for themselves. There are many hardships in dance that she has had to grow from, from the toll it takes on her body and her mental health. She says, “I’m proud of myself for being able to work through struggles,and I feel like it has made me a stronger person outside of dance as well.” 

Dancing is something Madelyne is very much looking to do more of in her future. “I’m definitely interested in pursuing dance, I’m looking into colleges for dance but also looking at the option of joining companies,” she explains. Her goal is to be dancing professionally in the future, “I see myself dancing in whatever way I can for the rest of my life.” she says. Madelyne hopes to see herself in a big city continuing to express her love of dance. 

[image credit: Madelyne Herbert]