Jenny Walsh: Always on Pointe

Always on her feet from a very young age, Jenny Walsh dances through her years going above and beyond to reach where she stands today.

The tiny six pound twelve ounce Jenny was born June 25, 1989 in Richmond, Virginia. She has lived in the same house since the time she arrived in the world with her parent’s, Bill and Cheryl, and older sister Alison. However, Jenny was the only child in the house- other than her miniature schnauzer dog, Heidi- since entering fifth grade after Allison left for college. She maintains close relationships with her parents and thinks of her mom as one of her best friends. “We are so similar…” Jenny explains.

Jenny finds her hometown of Richmond as very generic and stereotypical with “a lot of soccer moms driving Volvos.” The teenagers follow the same trends and fit a cookie cutter mold but Jenny finds ways to avoid this conformity. However she has built many close relationships with her family and friends, which allow her to stay away from peer pressure. Jenny believes that one of her greatest accomplishments so far is “…not conforming to the standards of people’s expectations. I do not give into peer pressure a lot. I don’t let other people’s opinions get to me or influence me.” One of her biggest pet peeves is when people are unreliable and do not follow through with their promises. This could be because she presents herself as a reliable source for her friends when they need her most.

Jenny presents herself as very laid back and easy going. Her sister Alison says, “Jenny has a very nice presence about her.” She enjoys having a good time and relaxing but also focuses on accomplishing her goals. Her best friend, Lauren Fargis, says that if she did not know Jenny she would think of her as a wild child, but “she studies all the time…she definitely knows how to get her work done.” She commits herself to the things she cares about, such as dancing and her education, and can even be described as a perfectionist when accomplishing her goals.

Dancing since her childhood, Jenny excelled in ballet and jazz above many other types of dance. At eight years old, she preformed in the Nutcracker for the Richmond ballet. Her role as a mouse in the performance required a solo dance on stage. Her sister Alison described this solo dance as “a shining moment for her and involved a lot of bravery for a young girl.”

Jenny continues to perform but stopped dancing in high school to focus on her education. The commitment required to continue dancing was one she felt she could not fulfill while maintaining high grades in school. “It required half days of school and half dance practice,” she explained. Instead Jenny turned to theater and drama classes, a place where she could express her personality through acting. She began acting in school plays, which allowed her to develop an outgoing personality and attempt new things. Although much of Jenny’s life had been committed to dancing she enjoyed doing theater during high school more than her previous years of dancing. Her ballet classes involved very strict rules whereas theater let her express her personality more and enjoy the company around her. In the week before the plays would open to the public, Jenny recalls having seven-hour rehearsals where everyone in the production would bond over dinner. She enjoyed the time she spent with her cast mates and got to experience a new setting.

During her junior year of high school, Jenny preformed in her school play You Can’t Take it With You. Jenny recalls this as her favorite production. “It was so much fun because I was with three of my really good friends and I got to play a ditzy ballerina and wear a big poofy tutu and my Pointe shoes,” says Jenny. She met a lot of new people during her time involved in theater and developed many relationships off stage. She explains the experience as unforgettable, and allowed her to expand her experiences as a performer.

Expanding her experiences well outside her comfort zone, Jenny she loves to travel across the globe. She and her mom take annual summer trips to different locations and have visited places such as San Francisco, Hawaii, and Wyoming. She enjoys exploring her surroundings while on these trips. While Jenny and her mom stayed in Hawaii they toured the island and snorkeled. When they visited Wyoming they stayed on a ranch and tried horseback riding and whitewater rafting. She loves trying new things and visiting places but also continues a traditional vacation to different ski locations with her father every spring. One of Jenny’s favorite activities includes skiing and belongs to a ski club with her father. Of all the many different ski resorts she has visited, she enjoys Vail, Colorado the most for its scenery. Jenny says, “It is so beautiful and the mountains are great.”

Dillard described Jenny as “remarkably kind.” She emits a presence about her that makes people want to approach her and enjoy her company. Jenny lights up the room she walks into and captures people with her laugh. Her laugh is the most entertaining thing about her. She loves to laugh and make other people laugh along with her. People who do not know her often refer to her as the “girl who laughs a lot,” says Dillard. Jenny likes to make people feel comfortable around her and entertain them. Dillard Watt says Jenny, “has the ability to provide a positive energy that is often a guiding light when things get down for those around her.” Jenny presents a strong front as an independent woman who sets the standards high for herself. Her friends and family describe her as confident, conscientious and likeable.

Jenny Walsh takes part in many activities and has experienced many places. She loves dancing, acting, double stuff Oreos, and her dog Heidi, and enjoys the company of her friends and family. She always strives for her best and reaches for the stars in everything she is involved in. Jenny loves to enjoy life with those who mean the most to her. Dillard says, “She loves to laugh, no matter who she is with.”

--by Tara Sones