Nina Falaise Thesis Statement

Nina Falaise Nina Falaise is a famous ballerina with an interesting secret: she is deaf. Falaise was born deaf due to a temporary lack of oxygen while in the womb and her deafness is considered to be severe to profound. An interesting aspect about her though, is that she is able to speak in a clear voice and is able to lip read so well that many would forget she is actually deaf. This dancer has opened up many doors for the deaf community and her story is very inspiring. When Nina Falaise was ten years old she decided to audition for the Royal Ballet School in London. She had always been inspired by the Bolshoi and Kirov ballerinas and she strived to be just like them. In the audition, she danced so well that the founder of the school came up to her told her she “would go a long way” (Lagnado). Later on she had to have a medical exam where they realized that she was deaf and was immediately let go. She was devastated and believed she would never achieve her dream of being a ballerina. Luckily, after she was rejected by the Royal Ballet School she was accepted into the Rambert Ballet Company where she was recognized many times for her dancing. When she first began in the company, she hid her deafness so well that her instructors did not realize she could not hear, until one day a teacher yelled at her. The …show more content…
She explains that she can hear lower notes in the music and also feel the vibrations. Like many deaf people, she has small amounts of hearing and uses it to the full extent. She also says the vibrations help convey the emotion of the piece and move her throughout. Crystal Rolfe, senior audiologist at the Royal National Institute for Deaf People, states, “Someone who is deaf can sense sounds through vibrations. Depending on how much hearing they have, a person may also be able to hear some of the beat of the sounds to dance to, and some of the low notes in the music”