Betsey Mooney

Dancing under the spotlight, sophomore Renata Olmos Walz (second from left) performs with American Dance Troupe for the first time on Jan. 22. She performed three shows in one day at the Chaminade Preparatory High School theater, spending 11 hours at the theater on show day. “[After a performance,] I felt tired, but I want to do it all over again because [I felt] so much adrenaline and [performing makes me] happy,” Olmos Walz said.

Sophomore Renata Olmos Walz was born in Madrid, Spain, surrounded by the city’s beautiful architecture and grew up enjoying many savory Spanish cuisines, such as empanadillas and cocido, with her father and mother. 

Olmos Walz was 9 years old when she took ballet and hip hop classes at Colegio Blanca De Castilla. 

“As a kid, I [tried] so many things. I did martial arts, rollerblading and art. I [ have tried many] different types of classes, [but] I never fit into any of them. Then I started dancing, [and] I loved it. [After that,] I went through a phase where all I loved [was hip hop],” Olmos Walz said. “It’s a good form to express [myself] and [my] feelings.”

During the summer of 2020, Olmos Walz moved more than 4,400 miles from her hometown to St. Louis to better her education and experience school in America. Her least favorite part about school in Spain was the lack of technology. Olmos Walz’s mom is originally from St. Louis, which allowed her to move in with her grandparents. However, her father continues to live in Spain. 

“The only reason I would move back is to be with my dad, but I hated school. [My old school] had no technology [and fewer] opportunities,” Olmos Walz said. “[I had to] make sure [moving was the] right choice because, once you start over [in a new city], there is no going back. I’ve met a bunch of amazing people, but it’s hard adapting to a style of living I was never used to. It’s very scary.”

Olmos Walz found a lack of traditional Spanish foods in America. Spanish cuisines are rich in flavor because Spain’s geography and climate provide fresh ingredients. Some of Olmos Walz’ favorite Spanish dishes are cocido, croquetas and paella. However, many American foods are processed, lack nutrition and contain high amounts of fat, salt and sugar.

“[The hardest part of moving] was getting used to the culture [and] food. Food is so much worse here. I [am] used to a healthy, Mediterranean diet, [so when] I got here I started going a little crazy,” Olmos Walz said.

Olmos Walz’s first semester of her freshman year was online due to COVID-19, isolating her from much of the school. 

“I wanted to live [the] American experience [because] I wanted to see if it was like the movies,” Olmos Walz said. “[I was] very nervous because I didn’t know what it was going to be like. It was not easy to adjust from Spain to America because [school] was virtual [and] it was so hard to make friends.”

Not able to meet people through school, Olmos Walz decided to begin dancing at Krupinski Academy of Dance in September of 2020. She takes ballet, tap, jazz and lyrical classes every week. In addition, in-person dance classes allowed her to meet new people.

“[Going to a new dance studio] was scary. I struggled a lot because it was new to me in the beginning. I was used to being taught in Spanish, [and] I adapt to [different ways] of teaching. I was scared to mess up,” Olmos Walz said. “I’m not nervous anymore. I’ve told myself that no dancer is perfect, [and that] it’s fine to make mistakes [because] that’s how you learn. Everyone’s supportive.”

Last year, she joined a dance organization called American Dance Troupe (ADT) to have more opportunities to perform. Rehearsals for the ADT showcase began in October. For the last three months, Olmos Walz spent multiple hours every weekend learning choreography in the studio until show day. The performance consisted of numerous group routines performing tap, jazz, ballet, hip hop, contemporary and fosse.

“I had a lot of anxiety at first, but I’ve warmed up to the studio. I loved ADT this year. [ADT] feels like everyone’s just a part of a big family. [I have] so many more opportunities [to perform] here than I [did] in Spain,” Olmos Walz said. ”On stage, I can just be who [I am], and it feels like nothing else matters.”

Olmos Walz is interested in practicing medicine in college and plans to continue dancing throughout high school and college. This summer, she is visiting her family and friends back in Spain.

“You’re not going to lose anything from [trying something new]; it’s fun. [Dancing has taught me how to be] willing to learn [so I can] become [a] better version of [myself]. I’m more confident about who I am,” Olmos Walz said.