Still think kids can’t be amazing? Then you better meet Hailey Tillmoore.
She’s won six international ballet competitions, performed at Carnegie Hall, and toured with the American Ballet Theatre—all before finishing middle school. That’s right: Hailey is just 11 years old, and she’s living proof that children can achieve anything if we push them to the breaking point.
Despite being half the age of your typical pro ballerina, Hailey dances with the virtuosity of a seasoned dancer. Incredibly, she’s already mastered both classical and contemporary choreography, showing just what kids can do when you force them to spend hours upon hours training to the brink of exhaustion every single day.
Lucky for Hailey, her mom and dad do exactly that! Ever since Hailey was old enough to walk, Corina and David Tillmoore have obsessively micromanaged her entire life, forced her to take on way more than she can handle, and shielded her from distractions like friends and childhood.
It just goes to show that a child really can accomplish anything you set her mind to!
And boy, has it paid off! It’s safe to say that Hailey wouldn’t have become the dancer she is today, endured two foot surgeries, or suffered extreme chronic fatigue if it weren’t for her parents’ relentless encouragement.
So, what happens when you dragoon a kid like Hailey into pursuing what you’ve browbeaten her into thinking she loves? Simply put, you end up with a hypercompetitive, mentally disoriented, and simply astonishing little girl.
And two very proud parents.
