The Hammond sisters share something special — a sibling that is also their teammate. Morgan and Avery Hammond have been dancers their entire lives, beginning the sport together, and now, finishing it together. 

Avery began dancing at the age of two and became serious with it at age seven. She found a passion for the sport and knew that she wanted to continue it on a pre-professional level. “The best part about ballet is going every single day to work on myself and always finding something to perfect,” said Hammond. Morgan began dancing that same year when she was three years old. “As I got older, I progressively began to be more seriously committed. When I was eight, I fell in love with ballet and all other styles of dance,” said Hammond. The sisters are in the studio for four hours a day, working on their skills and technique in ballet classes. 

Morgan and Avery have performed in every Nutcracker together, both working in the studio and performing on stage. The girls spend everyday together practicing and perfecting their routines. Morgan danced in her first Nutcracker nine years ago, and this past December, she performed in her last. “It has been an amazing journey and I wouldn’t trade it for the world. I have been given so many opportunities, and I couldn’t be more grateful,” said Morgan. Being on stage is something that comes natural to Morgan, and performing in front of big crowds has become one of the most memorable parts about dance. “The feeling of having a full audience watching you do what you love is a crazy and inspiring thing,” said Morgan. 

Morgan and Avery both expressed how rewarding it is to see all of their hard work pay off when they perform. “It is such a good feeling to be able to finally perform the hard work that we put into our dances and make my instructors proud,” said Avery. 

After finishing this year at Galmont Ballet, Morgan plans on pursuing dance in college while still focusing on her education and career. “Dance is very time consuming and can be extremely exhausting, but I will forever cherish the art and continue to carry on my passion for dance for the rest of my life,” said Morgan.