Grand Jeté: How a Young Local Ballet Dancer is Leaping into His Dreams

Story by TJ Shockley

Images via the family of Cason Hayes

Ballet dancers are among the most dedicated athletes and artists, combining strength, agility, and artistry to perform demanding roles on stage. Like their female counterparts, male dancers often begin training at a young age—many as early as the age of three—to build the foundation of technique and discipline required for a professional career. This early start is crucial, as it allows the dancers to develop the necessary muscle memory and flexibility while their bodies are still highly adaptable.

However, some male dancers begin later and excel through intensive training and natural talent. That’s Cason Hayes. Unlike dancers who began training before they were in kindergarten, Cason was 10 years old when he took his first dance class. Now, at the age of 17, his dedication and talent have taken him from Columbus to the glittering heights of the prestigious American Ballet Theatre (ABT) in New York City.

Trading in cleats for ballet flats

His introduction to ballet was almost serendipitous. When he was 10, his parents Britt and Jennifer Hayes took the entire family to see their first ballet: The Columbus Ballet’s production of The Nutcracker at the RiverCenter for the Performing Arts. The experience sparked something profound. “I enjoyed it so much,” Cason recalls. “I started going on YouTube and watching all these shows about ballet. I was so inspired by it…to learn there was a whole world where people have careers in this field.” After devouring ballet videos online, he soon realized—this could be his life.

Jennifer initially thought ballet might be just another after-school hobby, like soccer or gymnastics. Cason and his older brothers had been involved in sports in some capacity, but it quickly became apparent that Cason had found more than a pastime — it was the thing that lit him up. He had always been both creative and athletic, and Jennifer realized that ballet was the perfect mix of both worlds for him. Soon after that Nutcracker performance, Cason enrolled at Columbus School of Music and Dance where he learned several dance styles, but his passion was in ballet. This led him to pursue classical ballet instruction at Columbus State University’s Youth Dance Conservatory (YDC).

While many dance schools in the area offer exceptional dance courses, YDC, which is the official school of The Columbus Ballet, offers the area’s finest classical ballet instruction – exactly what Cason was looking for. It was here that Cason began sharpening his focus, but trading cleats for ballet flats wasn’t an easy transition. “I’d done basketball, baseball, soccer, and even gymnastics for seven years,” he says. “Ballet is by far the hardest thing I’ve ever done, and that’s what drew me to stay – the challenge."

Cason’s commitment grew as he performed in local ballet productions and participated in competitions such as Youth America Grand Prix (YAGP). After his late start in ballet, it had only taken Cason a few years to gain recognition and attention outside of Columbus. Summer intensives — rigorous ballet training programs that take place during the summer — soon followed, including stints at programs like Joffrey South in Athens, Georgia, and the Cary Ballet Conservatory in Cary, North Carolina. Each experience solidified his dream of pursuing ballet as a career.

A balancing act

It was during his intense training at these schools that Cason would learn ballet wasn’t all pirouettes and spotlights —it’s a test of resilience. The longevity of a male ballet dancer’s career often hinges on physical health, injury prevention, and the ability to adapt to evolving roles. Many male dancers retire from full-time performance in their mid-to-late 30s, although some continue into their 40s with careful management of their bodies and transitions into character or contemporary roles. While female dancers face pressures related to pointe work and aesthetic expectations, male dancers endure unique physical demands, including partnering lifts, high-impact jumps, and the need to maintain significant upper-body strength. These requirements can make their careers particularly vulnerable to injuries in the shoulders, knees, and ankles. Cason was no exception.

Throughout his training and the rigor it demanded, Cason dealt with hip impingements, torn ligaments, and growth plate issues. At one point, he danced less than a month in an entire year due to persistent injuries. Yet, his passion for ballet kept him going; he would remind himself why he started and lean on the encouragement of his instructors. “They would tell me that they saw me going far,” he says. “I decided to listen to them and just surrender to my teachers, just let them do what they can for me.” Even during periods of recovery, he found ways to stay engaged. “I’d write down combinations and counts during class,” he says. “It kept my mind sharp and reminded me of my goals.”

Ballet demands as much mental strength as it does physical endurance. After being accepted at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet’s full-time ballet program in Canada, he thrived artistically, but the experience tested his resilience. “It was very isolating at times,” he admits. “It was cold, and it was dark. You couldn’t just go outside unless you had three jackets on.” He found himself spending a lot of time in his dorm room, his only chance to escape the frigid and concrete landscape of Winnipeg.

Throughout it all, his family’s support was unwavering. Jennifer explains, “We always said, ‘When you’re not enjoying it anymore, let’s do something else.’ It doesn’t matter how far we’ve come in this, whether it’s art or sport.” But Cason never wanted to quit. He’d come home on breaks and still watch YouTube videos of other performers or immediately ask to take a class at YDC. She recalls, “That tells me that is the right place for him, when you are doing it even when you don’t have to.”

Cason shares. “You have to battle with injury, how your body doesn’t want to do it but your heart does. It’s such an interesting balance you have to find, and I think focusing on your mental health throughout the journey is the most important thing.”

From the Fountain City to the Big Apple

His biggest leap of faith came when he returned home from Winnipeg one spring break. He was already questioning whether to return to Canada due to the mental toll it was taking, when Jennifer decided to look for other upcoming auditions. To her surprise, ABT was holding auditions for its prestigious year-round program later that same week in New York. She quickly registered Cason for the audition and booked an impromptu trip to Manhattan, where he auditioned in front of several renowned ballet instructors. “It was a little intimidating,” he says. “I went into the audition, and there were dancers from London and Paris. Here I was from a little town in Georgia. I just put my head down and tried my hardest.” And that leap of faith paid off: Cason was the only dancer at the audition to be selected for the program.

Living away from home at such a young age had obviously been an adjustment, but Cason would find life in New York to be exhilarating…and not just for the cultural aspects. While all dancers train together in foundational techniques, such as barre work, center exercises, and general alignment, male dancers at ABT receive additional training to address their unique roles in ballet: developing powerful jumps, specialized instruction on partnering (known as pas de deux), and an increased focus on physical conditioning. He is now taking classes designed specifically for male dancers, critical for those who wish to become professionals. Compare that to his time at YDC in Columbus, where he was one of the only male dancers at the school —something that YDC and The Columbus Ballet are actively working to change in hopes of attracting more male students interested in the art.

Cason has gone from dancing on the RiverCenter stage to dancing in front of celebrities at Lincoln Center. He has befriended artists he once knew only from YouTube videos – dancers like Miko Fogarty. He is surrounded by incredible talent and world-class instructors in a place where he can fully marry athleticism with technique and emotion. “With ballet, your body is your instrument,” he explains. “Conveying emotion with your body is a huge challenge. That’s my favorite part. How can you use your body to give all the audience emotion?”

Ready for the spotlight

As his parents have watched him evolve as a dancer, they have also grown to love the artistry of dance even more. “I’ve learned through this experience that it is a fascinating artform,” Jennifer says. “There is so much power behind it, but yet it looks effortless and beautiful.” From being backstage and seeing the army of people who put on a production. she saw the pain, sweat, and tears dedicated to bringing a performance to life onstage.

She also recognize that Cason’s journey is far from over. With potentially two more years at ABT’s school, he is focused on securing a company contract. “I had the chance to train at the Paris Opera Ballet last summer,” he says. “I can see myself in Europe, but I’m happy with anywhere where I am dancing.” But Cason Hayes won’t simply be dancing; he will be connecting with an audience, telling stories that reflect the raw and emotional beauty of ballet. ◼️