Alexis Ren in the Ballet Studio!

Alexis Ren is taking us inside her ballet studio today and showing us a few of her moves, looking the part in a white top, a flowing blue skirt and a pair of pointe shoes. Along with showing us how she moves in her studio, Alexis spoke about her love for dance and how ballet has been both "heaven and an escape" for her over the years. Read more about what Alexis has to say below and see more updates from the ballerina in the gallery!

"Ballet has been so many things for me. It’s been heaven and an escape. Hell and a prison. Through hours of pouring sweat and soul onto the dance floor, I have found a work ethic and a determination I wouldn’t trade for the world. The ability to look resistance square in the eyes and keep going. Yet, I’ve also pushed myself over the edge striving for perfection.

When you get that first pair of point shoes, they’re stiff. Snug to the bone, they must be broken in through time and dedication. Eventually there is a level of trust, until finally over time they can no longer hold you up and we have to once again find a new shoe that fits.

Art is like this. We’re new students, stumbling and finding our way until we get the hang of something. Eventually, we outgrow our own work and if we aren’t willing to risk something new, our spark crumbles and breaks down.

No matter what phase i’m in—the building or the breaking, I know that if I step into a studio, I am home. Home in this body, home in this world.

If any of you are asking yourselves where your spark for life went- ask: have I abandoned parts of myself? Go backwards. Sometimes, (most of the time) our evolution comes from peeling back the layers that were never meant to be there. Remembering who you were is how you continue to build your legacy, staying forever faithful to your spark. Our childhood dreams become our adult passions."