BY LAUREN OGG

Behind a velvet curtain, 1,000 people have just taken their seats. They have come to see junior Elen Pease perform; she must do well. With nerves reeling like a ball of yarn, Pease realizes the time to emerge from behind the drape is creeping up. She has a million things on her mind: her next modeling gig, her last blog post, her dance moments away. Frazzled with thoughts, she hurries onto the stage, accidentally forgetting a shoe.

Though Pease has only been dancing for three years now, she has learned the art at a rapid rate. Her favorite dancing style is classical ballet—it’s the style with which she feels most comfortable. Currently Pease trains and dances with Ballethic Dance Company located in East Point. When she dances, Pease is constantly striving for excellence and hopes to keep improving she said.

“Ballet is so precise and exact,” Pease said. “Every miniature movement is done a certain way, so if I’m not focused on what I’m doing, I look [crazy].”

Junior Autumn Rivers, Pease’s best friend, said she’s only seen her dance two or three times, but each time she felt she danced with “grace and technique.”

Though the two have only known each other for two and a half years they have a bond that is undeniable.

“We are mutually and genuinely one of each other’s best friends,” Rivers said. “[It] is special because neither of us uses those words to describe people very often.”

Not only is Pease a talented and dedicated dancer, she has modeled, both professionally and for fun, for more than six years. She was first signed in fifth grade to Kiddin Around Models and Talent but later switched to a different branch of the same agency, called Real People Models and Talent.

“About a month after I got my headshots done, I started getting calls for print ads and auditions fairly regularly,” Pease said.

Pease has appeared in ads for companies including Sears, Lenscrafters, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and Talbots Kids. The most recent modeling audition she attended was for a “Bop It” commercial.

“I regularly did print ads in Macy’s catalogs for about three years,” Pease said. “But I’ve auditioned for lots of bigger TV roles, like small parts in Tyler Perry [productions], some pilot for Disney XD and a ‘no texting while driving’ ad campaign with Justin Bieber.”

Even with all the publicity, she said she must remain collected.

“When I get hired, I’m there to do a good job and produce something, so I have to get in that mindset of [being a] professional yet still interacting with people well,” Pease said. “It took me a second to find a good balance.”

Of the many ads and campaigns Pease has taken part in, her all-time favorite was set at the beach.

“My favorite thing I’ve done was probably a print ad for Talbots Kids a few years ago, because the location was in Seaside, Fla.,” Pease said. “[It] was really awesome. We spent about two to three days down there shooting for the summer catalog in March, so [it was] cold but still really great.”

When she’s not in front of the camera, Pease enjoys working behind the scenes on the blog she shares with Rivers.

“She’s very creative and driven, which you can see in her work in fashion, in her blog and [in her] other creative endeavors,” Elen’s mother Maria Pease said.

Their blog, called tw0girlsoneblog, is a fashion blog on Tumblr that the two best friends share. They post pictures of fashion inspiration and feature outfits seen on the streets, such as retro girls in vintage clothes, as well as outfits they have created and modeled themselves.

“Whenever I take pictures of [Elen] for our blog, she’s very bubbly and interesting in front of the camera,” Rivers said.

Rivers said Pease is “hilarious, non-conventionally stylish and caring.”

“What makes her special is her ability to deal with criticism and her ability to down entire bottles of juice in a short period of time,” Rivers said. “She’s good at keeping secrets, she’s good at making me feel better when I’m down and she tells it straight. When an opportunity presents itself in her life, she dives toward it and takes advantage [of it].”

Between dancing passionately, modeling professionally and operating a fashion blog, Pease maintains balance in her packed schedule. She goes to school, socializes with her friends after school and does homework and then goes to dance lessons almost every day.

“She is dedicated and disciplined, which you see in her dancing,” Maria Pease said. “Dancing on pointe is very difficult, and rehearsal schedules are hard to manage while also studying.”

Her mother added that she respects her daughter’s dedication to ballet, as it is a far more complex hobby than it appears to  be.

No matter how full her plate is, Pease said she’ll always make room for the things she is passionate about.

“[Practice] takes up lots and lots of time, but I never have a problem with it because I love doing it,” Pease said. “I want to make sure I keep up with it to perfect the art [of dancing and modeling] throughout college, even if that’s not what I choose to do as a living afterwards.”

Her busy lifestyle requires a strong support system. Pease feels lucky to have a supportive family and appreciates their willingness to help her grow in her talents throughout the years.

“I hope she has learned that reaching your goals takes perseverance, discipline, hard work and passion,” Maria Pease said.