Nathan Chen: My Olympic Friend
By Scotlun Vann
As the Winter Olympics have just come to a close, I’d like to share a story about an old friend and now Olympic gold medalist, Nathan Chen, from when we were both 10-years-old. He got his start at Ballet West, an American ballet company based out of Utah, and danced there for six years. Chen’s most notable role he played was the main dancer in “Sleeping Beauty”. In his tenure, Chen was able to participate in plays such as “Swan Lake” and “The Nutcracker.”
I had the opportunity to work and dance alongside Nathan for years. We worked together on “Sleeping Beauty,” “The Nutcracker,” and in many other classes and programs in Ballet West’s youth program. This was not your average dance studio– this was a place where children could come and participate in major ballet productions.
Chen and I were often in similar roles, so we spent many hours together. Even at a young age, Chen, had an unrelenting work ethic. In preparation for a performance, we would spend many nights in the studio correcting the smallest details. I would complain and would hate to be there for hours on end. Chen, on the other hand, would be happy to repeat any and everything he needed to until it was perfect, and as a result he was able to excel.
During the winter months, Monday through Saturday, 4 p.m to 8 p.m in the upper studio rooms of the Capitol Theater in downtown Salt Lake, you would find myself and Chen. Of course we would be practicing and helping each other learn the moves and remember the routines. However, the things I remember most were getting in trouble for laughing with him when the others were dancing, or playing the newest Pokemon game secretly in the corner of the studio before our numbers came on.
Chen’s work ethic he has catapulted him to the top of the world stage and has turned him into an olympian. It was clear from the time he was young that he was going to be successful, but this success didn’t come free. Hard work, sleepless nights, and the drive to be perfect is what fueled him to become an eventual gold medalist. It is good to see my old friend have such great success!
