Bethany Truax in the Mid-Ohio Valley Ballet Company’s production of “Sleeping Beauty” from spring 2023. Truax is involved locally in dance and a number of artistic endeavors with plans to continue in dance and study photography. (Photo Provided)

PARKERSBURG — For Bethany Truax of Vienna, dance is about expressing herself and finding beauty in movement.

The 18-year-old home-schooled high school senior is entering her 11th year of dance with the Mid-Ohio Valley Ballet Company.

She got involved with it through a friend and had her mother sign her up to see if it was something that she might like to do.

“I enjoyed it so that is where I ended up now,” Truax said.

Many people think of dance as something visual, but she likes the emotions it evokes.

Bethany Truax as the Snow Queen from the Mid-Ohio Valley Ballet Company’s production of “The Nutcracker” from 2023. Truax has been involved with the ballet company for over 10 years. (Photo Provided)

“It is more about how it feels,” Truax said. “People always talk about how it looks, but when I am dancing it feels very emotional.

“You can really put emotion into it. That is what I love to do is hear the music and match up the movements. It looks beautiful, and it feels beautiful to me. That is the reason I love it so much.”

Truax has performed in many productions for the Mid-Ohio Valley Ballet Company over the years. Her favorite was “Sleeping Beauty,” which was her first main role that she got to do on pointe shoes, which can be difficult.

“It was a struggle to do because the pointe shoes are very hard to dance with,” Truax said. “It was a struggle for me because I have never had anything that big before.

“I had so many people to help me, teach me through it, and walk me through it. I got so good at it, it was a piece of cake at the end of it.”

Bethany Truax as the Snow Queen from the Mid-Ohio Valley Ballet Company’s production of “The Nutcracker” from 2023. Truax has been involved with the ballet company for over 10 years. (Photo Provided)

She credits her dance teacher, Suzy Gunter, with helping her become a better dancer and a better person by including life lessons with her instruction of dance in not only relying on others, but also working as part of a team to bring a performance together.

“She’s an amazing woman who is like a second mom to me,” Truax said. “She has helped me through a lot of situations in my life by telling me I need to be strong and independent.”

One goal Truax has is to do a modern dance piece to “Gymnopedie No. 1” by Erik Satie or “Reflections” by Toshifumi Hinata.

“A nice modern piece would look beautiful with a nice piece of music behind it,” she said.

She wants to be able to do the piece in pointe shoes.

Bethany Truax in the Mid-Ohio Valley Ballet Company’s production of “Sleeping Beauty” from spring 2023. Truax is involved locally in dance and a number of artistic endeavors with plans to continue in dance and study photography. (Photo Provided)

Truax was 12 years old when she got fitted for her first pair of pointe shoes, then started taking pointe classes to help her understand how to properly dance in them without getting hurt. Pointe shoes are made out of nails, wood, glue and fabric and are put together to fit the person wearing them.

“I’ve been working hard with my shoes to do steps and turns that I never thought I could do,” Truax said. “Ballerinas have to make everything look effortless, when in reality it’s super hard to do. You are basically holding up your entire body on just your toes, so it makes it really hard to walk let alone perform in.”

In addition to being involved with the Mid-Ohio Valley Ballet Company, Truax also works at The Watering Can studio at the Grand Central Mall. Working there, she sees people of all skill levels trying their hand at creating art. Some produce really beautiful works.

“I love seeing that,” Truax said.

She has been homeschooled since she was in elementary school. It could be challenging at times with dance, but has allowed her time to be able to participate in the company’s annual performances of “The Nutcracker” at area schools for local students every holiday season.

In addition to dance, Bethany Truax of Vienna has an interest in photography. She took this picture in downtown Marietta at night. (Photo Provided)

It is always a joy for the people in the show to hear students laughing at the mice during the battle scene.

“We love listening to them laugh at the mice,” Truax said. “The mice are always really funny looking.”

The openness of her schedule has also allowed her to be able to take some classes for college credit.

Although she is a senior, a time when many age out of the dance program, she is remaining with the ballet company and will be allowed to still to take dance classes and be in the shows.

“I will be doing that as well as college stuff,” she said.

Truax plans to attend college at West Virginia University at Parkersburg to stay in the area. She plans to pursue her interest in photography, which ties into her love of art as she likes to focus on specific things she thinks are pretty.

“I love just capturing nature and the beauty of people,” Truax said. “I just love watching people. I just love the beauty of people.”

She likes to enhance scenes with the camera and make them come to life in her view, playing with lighting and shadows.

Whether it is dance, photography, drawing or any of her other creative endeavors, art remains an important part of her life.

“I’m an artist,” she said. “I am obsessed with art and the beauty of it. I love doing it.”

Through it all, it is the people in her family and at the Mid-Ohio Valley Ballet Company who are a big part of her accomplishments.

“I wouldn’t be here without them,” Truax said.

Brett Dunlap can be reached at bdunlap@newsandsentinel.com