BALANCING GRACE, GRIT : TEEN-AGER FORGETS ARTIFICIAL ARM AS SHE WHIRLS TO BALLET HONORS.

Byline: Cindy Brovsky The Denver Post

Curiosity pirouettes in the young dancers' eyes.

Their new teaching assistant, Julie Vogel, 16, brings a sincere smile and 12 years of dance experience to her students. But Georgia Bowdre, owner of Metropolitan Academy of Dance, knows very young dance students, 5 to 8, have mouths that can be as clumsy as their feet on a first plie.

``I spoke with Julie, and she agreed we needed to tell them up-front so there wouldn't be stares,'' Bowdre recalled.

OK, Julie thought, here we go again. Yeah, my lower left arm is a prosthesis. But what's the big deal? It's just a part of me, as eyeglasses are to many teens.

The irritation Julie feels every time the prosthesis becomes the center of attention is melted by her love of dance and dedication to her students.

``The students came forward and looked at Julie's arm,'' Bowdre said. ``To them, it looks like a doll's arm. They think it's really cool.''

The 10-year-old dance school was founded by Bowdre and attracts 350 students of all ages from the metro area. Julie helps teach the younger ones.

``They weren't scared, just curious,'' Julie said. ``Once we talked about it, it was never mentioned again.''

Julie prefers that people focus on her accomplishments and not her left arm. As a seventh-grader at Most Precious Blood Catholic School, she won the state spelling bee. Her grade point average at Mullen High School exceeds 4.0 because of her junior honors classes.

In July, she performed with the Metropolitan Academy of Dance at pre-Olympic entertainment in Atlanta.

Her latest feat is landing the starring role of the Sugar Plum Fairy in a ballet sponsored by the Aurora Dance Arts Program. She auditioned with 110 other dancers from six metro-area dance studios.

``I'm really excited but also a little nervous,'' Julie said just before performing.

Julie began dancing when she was 4.

Her left arm was not entirely formed at birth, and she got her first prosthesis when she was 6 months old.

From her first day of dance class, Julie never had a problem with balance or fear of trying new dances, from ballet to tap and jazz.

``She always has been really bright and picked up things fast,'' recalled Bowdre, her teacher for 12 years. ``She was not intimidated at all about having a prosthesis.

``And she's so incredible that you forget about it. I had her doing cartwheels and walking on her hands.''

This summer, she was awarded a $1,000 scholarship to attend the prestigious Dance Aspen program. Nearly 800 dancers auditioned and 100 were accepted.

Julie also choreographs her own performances and those of other dance groups. Her work with young dancers evolved as she crafted her own dance skills.

``I've always loved kids, whether baby-sitting or helping to teach classes,'' she said.

Julie won her pre-Christmas ballet role from judges who didn't know about her prosthesis.

``From where we were sitting, it wasn't noticeable. One judge thought maybe she had a cast on her arm,'' said Julie Martin, director of the Aurora Dance Arts Program. ``It wasn't an issue because Julie is such a good dancer. She has a darling technique and we just enjoyed watching her,'' she said.

The 16-year-old winner danced preview performances just for Aurora schoolchildren.

``We're proud that we're able to show many students the ballet who otherwise couldn't see it,'' she said. ``Many of these kids never have seen ballet. It's great to watch the expressions on their faces.''

Among the dancers chosen to appear with her in the ballet is Julie's brother, Steven, 8. Her other brother, Greg, 13, and their parents, Diane and Randy, have cheered along the dancers.

``We've always emphasized the positive,'' Diane said. ``That's one reason Julie doesn't like to be called disabled. She isn't unable to do a thing she has wanted to do.''

Julie's goals include teaching dance and possibly journalism. In the meantime, her young dancers are mimicking their teacher.

``One of the little ones saw Julie put a sock on her arm before the prosthesis,'' Bowdre said. ``The next think I know, the little one has a sock on her arm.

``Everyone wants to be just like Miss Julie. She's such a special person. Once she dances, you don't remember the arm isn't a part of her. She makes it a part of her.''

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Photo

Photo: Watching Julie Vogel dance, her little ballet students in Englewood, Colo., are likely to forget she has a prosthesis for her left arm.

Associated Press