Life can be rough for a world-class competitor in ballet. Dan Dalton didn't get to the pinnacle of the ballet world without plenty of trial and tribulation. This incredible athlete drills for four grueling sessions one time each day, followed by the usual homework for someone in eleventh grade.
Two years ago, he broke his toe in four places. But this didn't stop him. He seems even more determined to excel at his sport.
"I was really down when I broke my toe, and then my banana slug died. I literally lost heart, and it showed in my hair. It took six months to get back in shape. But to win at ballet is what I've been working for all my life, and I just had to pull myself up by my surgical mask and forget about Barnabas, my banana slug."
Polly, his mother-in-law, moved with him to Bhutan to be with his coach, leaving behind his mother, Shandra, in their old brownstone, where she still labors as a beekeeper to help pay for Dan's expensive training.