How many marketing majors do you know that used to be ballerinas?
Audrey Beukelman is a freshman at Taylor University and is currently majoring in marketing. She started dancing at the age of seven. At the age of 15, she placed in the top 12 in the Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP) international finals. She has also won first place in several regional competitions, as well as the Youth America Grand Prix award.
Winning these competitions opened the doors for Beukelman to train and perform internationally. She became an ambassador for YAGB and has been to France, Monaco, Italy, London, England and Germany, among other places.
When Beukelman was in Berlin performing at a gala, an instructor noticed her and offered her a scholarship to attend the John Cranko Schule in Germany. Beukelman went through intensive training for two years at the school.
“I ate, slept and breathed dance,” Beukelman said.
She would train for eight hours or longer, along with managing her online schooling. Beukelman also said that, since it was a European school, it was very precise and strict with rules. You were not there for a social life.
Being in such a prestigious environment put a lot of pressure on Beukelman to be the best. She struggled with pressure from her instructor and director as well as herself.
“Everyday I would have to get up, go to dance and know that I'm going to let down someone,” Beukelman said. “I'm going to let down my instructor, I'm going to let down myself, because I have such high expectations for myself.”
Her only consolation during these times was God. She learned that her identity was not in dance, and she had to learn to not depend on dance but to depend on the Lord.
Despite the amazing opportunity it was, living in a new country and culture took a toll on Beukelman. She lived in a dorm with 80 other girls from all over the world, most of whom were not Christian. She came face to face with drinking and party culture as those were the main activities the other girls would do in their free time.
As she struggled in her new environment, she depended on the fact that the Lord had brought her this far for a reason.
“Yes, there are going to be hardships in this life, but the Lord's in it, through it all, and I can go to him for strength,” Beukelman said.
These hardships have also taught Beukelman many life lessons. She learned about discipline as she had to do things she didn’t want to do and go the extra mile. She also feels that due to the lack of social life, she now appreciates even the smallest things such as a simple conversation.
Finally, she learned about the power of prayer through her days of tears and crying out to God.
At Taylor, Beukelman is now studying marketing, pairing this major with a counseling minor. Although she did once desire to pursue ballet professionally, the toxic culture within it as well as missing her family drew her away from that dream.
Her dream now is to open up a counseling center for athletes and dancers struggling with the pressure within their professions. She looks forward to learning how to open her own business and interact with and take care of the athletes and dancers.
Ephesians 6:10-20 was a passage that really spoke to Beukelman during her two years of training. These verses reminded her that her fight isn’t against flesh and blood and that God will walk with her through any difficulty.
“The Lord can use anything, and even in hard times,” she said. “Being dependent on God is where he wants you to be."
