Freshman Noam Levi has been dancing since she was two years old and her modern contemporary dance performances have won her first and second place in recent dance competitions. 

“I didn’t think I would win,” Levi said. “I just thought of it as ‘I’m going to do a regular dance competition.’”

On Nov. 1, Levi ranked second in a dance competition. when she performed  a solo choreography. On Oct. 21, Levi participated in a dance competition in San Francisco against other California dance studios. For that competition, Levi performed a solo and a team choreography. The judges awarded her the first-place award in her age division. 

“I just knew I (could) do it because I’ve been doing it for so long,” Levi said.

Levi started ballet dancing at the age of two and competing at the age of four. Since then, she has transitioned to modern contemporary dance, which has a similar fluidity to ballet. Dancing also led a seven-year-old Levi to meet her best friend, whom she used to dance with. Memories of dancing with her best friend as well as the calming aspects of dance fuel Levi to continue with her passion.

“I actually find it therapeutic, like it’s really fun and it calms me down,” Levi said. 

The dance studio Levi performs with is located in Beverly Hills. She spends four out of the five weekdays at dance practice. The practices usually last around four hours per day. To prepare for the competition in San Francisco, Levi practiced her choreographies for around two and a half weeks. 

When she’s not busy dancing, Levi can be found shopping or playing with her cat and five dogs. For her potential career, she is considering becoming an actress and mental health activist. For now, though, she plans to continue dancing as a hobby.

“I love doing it,” Levi said. “It just makes me feel good.”