Mallory Thomas poses for some birthday pictures at Butcher Family Farm in May. (Photo provided)

PARKERSBURG — Dance has been a lifelong pursuit for 17-year-old homeschooled student Mallory Thomas.

“I’ve been dancing for 14 years,” Thomas said. “In June, I’ll hit my 15-year anniversary.”

Thomas said she started training at the Mid-Ohio Valley Ballet Company at the age of 4, and over the years, has developed a deep passion for ballet. She said that passion really began after seeing a performance of Clara Stahlbaum, the main character in the classic holiday story “The Nutcracker,” when she was younger and making it her dream to be that character on stage.

“I just remember being like, ‘I have to do that. I have to do that someday,'” Thomas said. “And funnily enough, a few years ago, I did get to just that. I got to be Clara. And it was the best moment of my life.”

In addition to ballet, Thomas said she has trained in a variety of other dance styles, including tap, jazz, contemporary, modern, and point work.

Mallory Thomas, center, Bethany Truax and Sarah Harvey pose for a picture at the Parkersburg floodwall in March for Thomas’ 17th birthday. (Photo provided)

“I have also had a little bit of training in hip hop and street dance, salsa and swing dance,” Thomas said.

While tap dance has proven to be a particular challenge, Thomas said she remains dedicated to getting better everyday.

“Tap is so hard,” Thomas said. “I love tap, though. I would not remove it from my syllabus, but it is very difficult for me.”

She said she has also had the opportunity to showcase her acting skills in theater productions as her dance company puts on performances for community members and students in the area.

“We do evening shows and school shows,” Thomas said. “For the school shows, we’ll go to like, Blennerhassett Middle School or Marietta High School, and we’ll bus in kids to watch us during the day as like, one of their periods at school. And it’s amazing. They’ll laugh at everything. They’ll smile and clap, and it just makes me happy to know that the kids get at least a small break to enjoy something during the holidays.

Mallory Thomas works the hayride at Butcher Family Farm in October. Thomas works at the farm owned by her grandparent and describes her role as a farmhand, where she runs the register, takes care of the animals and helps with planting flowers. (Photo provided)

“I want to see people happy. I want to see people enjoy themselves, even if it’s just like an hour and a half of their life, as long as I put a smile on people’s faces, I will be happy.”

Thomas said she plans to continue her goal to make others happy by being on stage and pursue her artistic endeavors at Liberty University at Lynchburg, Va.,, where she hopes to major in dance or pursue a BFA in Musical Theater. She said she is familiar with the university already as she has been attending camps there for years.

“They have a theater camp and they have a dance camp. And the camps come together at the end of the nine days to put on a show,” Thomas said. “That is when I decided that I was going to go to Liberty, my very first time entering campus as a camper.”

She said her experiences on campus have made a lasting impression on her and helped to develop a strong connection to the school and its community.

“I already know my way around. I already know a lot of the theater and dance instructors, and a lot of my camp friends are all going there next fall, too.”

Mallory Thomas, second from the left, Jessica Deboer, Lily Gordon and Noah McLean skate around the Liberty University ice skating rink in September. Thomas plans to attend the university after graduation and said she has previous experience with the school through their summer camps and college weekend programs. (Photo provided)

She said she has already secured one of her future roommates through the friendships she made at the camps.

“I already have one of my roommates, which was one of my closest camper friends,” Thomas said. “So I won’t even get surprised with a roommate. I already know who I’m going to be living with.”

As she looks towards her future at Liberty University, Thomas said she is excited about the opportunities for community and worship that the school provides.

“Liberty University has a big community worship element to it, so there’ll be just impromptu worship nights out on the fields, at the dorms. Anywhere, really, you can find someone playing a guitar, and a worship night will start. I’m really looking forward to that,” Thomas said.

When not performing or learning a new dance, she said she is also deeply involved in her family’s business, the Butcher Family Farm.

Mallory Thomas and Bethany Truax pose for a picture at Marietta High School during the Mid-Ohio Valley Ballet Company’s performance of “The Nutcracker” in December. Thomas started dancing at the ballet studio when she was around 4 years old, She has had the opportunity to perform in productions like “The Nutcracker,” where she was able to dance the role of Clara, which was a dream of hers. (Photo provided)

“I’ve worked there for a long time,” Thomas said. “I am considered a farm hand, so I’ll run register. I’ll sometimes take care of the animals. We obviously plant all of our flowers and stuff there. So I’ll be on planting, and then I just do regular customer service.”

She said one of her favorite aspects of working at the farm is helping customers find the perfect flowers, especially during special occasions like Mother’s Day.

“I like helping the dads, and or husbands, that come in that get their wives flowers for Mother’s Day,” Thomas said. “That is probably my favorite part, because they’ll come in and be like, ‘She likes this flower, but I don’t know what it’s called. I don’t remember what it looks like, but I think it’s pink.’ And it’s so fun to help them figure it out.”

In addition to her customer service duties, she said she also enjoys the hands-on work of planting and caring for the flowers.

“I do enjoy the planting process. It’s really long, though. It takes us a good while for spring planting. When we open in May, we generally start in February so we work till then, getting the greenhouses set up. And then, in the summer, we have chrysanthemum planting that takes anywhere from one to two weeks.”

Mallory Thomas relaxes backstage of the Lincoln Theater in New Martinsville in December during the Mid-Ohio Valley Ballet Company’s performance of “The Nutcracker.” (Photo provided)

Thomas said her experience on the family farm has not only provided her with valuable work experience but has also allowed her to connect with her community and family in a meaningful way. And she said that connection with her family is very important to her as they have been a constant source of support and inspiration throughout her life.

“We’re definitely a very solid family,” Thomas said. “It’s my mom, my dad, and then the three of us girls. We go on one big family vacation every year. Generally, it’s to Myrtle Beach.”

She said her father, in particular, has played a significant role in her life.

“I’d say my dad and I are very close,” Thomas said. “Obviously, my mom and I are very close, but my dad is I don’t know. I guess my dad’s just like my rock.”

She said one of her most cherished memories with her father involves one of those trips to the beach.

“When I was younger, my dad would carry me out into the ocean and hold me as the waves crashed, in order to help me become more comfortable with the ocean,” Thomas said.

“He would also set me in the water and hold my hands, then lift me up when the waves came so I could jump into them.”

As she prepares to embark on her college journey, she said she knows she will miss the close connection she has with her family, especially her father. She said they often go to movies together and always do the family grocery shopping together.

“I’m really gonna miss that when I go off to college next year,” Thomas said. “Because I’m not gonna just gonna be able to, you know, go out and do stuff with my dad.”

She said her strong family ties have undoubtedly played a crucial role in shaping the person she is today, and she is grateful for the unwavering support and guidance she has received from her loved ones.

Mallory Thomas poses for some birthday pictures at Butcher Family Farm in May. (Photo provided)

Mallory Thomas poses for some birthday pictures at Butcher Family Farm in May. (Photo provided)

Mallory Thomas poses for a picture at Butcher Family Farm in November. (Photo provided)

Mallory Thomas practices some of her ballet poses on the sand of Myrtle Beach, S.C., in May. (Photo provided)