NAME: Arden Paisley AGE: thirty-three GENDER: cis female PRONOUNS: she/her OCCUPATION: owner of and dance teacher at One Motion LENGTH OF STAY: native, gone for a six year period PLACE OF RESIDENCE: meadowside
here’s my lil cookie arden!!
Arden was born and raised in North Creek without any problems. Her family has always been stable and while her parents are the kind that chose contentment instead of dreaming and throwing themselves into something uncertain, they never tried to hold Arden back even when they didn’t understand her dreams.
She was ten when she realized that she could never do anything but spend her life dancing. She had been taking ballet for four years for a fun weekend activity, but after the realisation she began the hard and difficult journey towards the ultimate goal. Show the world the magic that lived within, the one that made her dance and twirl.
She left North Creek to pursue a career in ballet at eighteen and eventually ended up in the New York City Ballet.Â
After a few years, Arden tore the ACL in her right knee at twenty-six and effectively ended her career. She was hopeful that surgery could salvage her dream but alas.Â
She left NYC after two surgeries that both failed to give back her dream. Heartbroken and crushed, Arden landed back in her childhood bedroom for several months. She refused to leave the bed, rarely ate and mostly turned the other way in bed when her mother tried to speak to her.
After a while, the thought of wasting her life in bed appalled her and she came up with a plan. She had money saved, taught to be nifty since childhood, that she could use to her heart’s desire. Her first plan was to travel the world but that came to an abrupt end too when she found out that she was pregnant.
It was definitely not planned and while she has no issues with abortions, she chose to keep the child.
(I honestly haven’t decided on the father situation more than that it’s wholesome. There was never any love involved, at least not much, and I imagine that they share custody. Just chill parenting.)
Felix was born April 6th, 2015. Happy and healthy little nugget.
She spent around eight months solely caring for Felix while mulling over the idea of her own dance studio. She imagined small and excited children, she had been one before, learning to express themselves through movement. Whether it be for fun or something bigger.
One Motion opened its doors in 2017 after months of planning and designing. She hired dance teachers, sent out flyers and watched people of all ages and sizes flock to the place Arden had envisioned. It may be a small business, it’s a small town after all, but it’s hers and it makes her happy.
She’s honestly just chilling; raising her kid, dancing to the best of her abilities, tending her own garden, baking sugary sweets and having fun. She has learned now that dreams can change and that it doesn’t mean the old dreams were bad. Life, like dance, moves.
