Youth in Focus

By Richard A. Ross

Diamond girl

FALLSBURG, NY — Possessing numerous and contrasting facets, Kayla Ny of Fallsburg is like a diamond: stunning from any angle. A look into her activities and accomplishments gives new meaning to the word diversity.

	TRR photo by Richard A. Ross Kayla Ny recently danced in the Main Street Dance production of “Motown Plus.” (Click for larger image)

Speaking of diamonds, Ny plays on one. Starting in Little League with the Fallsburg Indians when she was nine, Ny has since moved up to play third base, shortstop and left field for the Fallsburg Yankees in the teener’s league. Used to being a female minority in hardball, she was unfazed by initial grumbling on the part of a few of her new teammates. After seeing her play, they gratefully accepted her. Why wouldn’t they?

Ny, a natural athlete, loves to hit, make the long throw from third to first or handle hard line drives. She earned a black belt with toughness and perseverance at Phil Spechler’s United Tae Kwan-Do-Chung Do Kwan Association in Liberty, NY. “It’s made me feel a lot more secure,” Ny said.

After the bruising challenges of martial arts competition, baseball is relatively tame. In summer, she devotes herself to baseball. In the fall that passion switches to soccer. She has played forward and midfielder in AYSO since 1997.

While athletics are important to Kayla, so are the arts. Audiences from Manhattan to South Fallsburg have seen her act and sing. In April 2002, she played the part of Zinnie in “Dora,” an opera based on the life of one of Freud’s patients. The American Chamber Opera Company staged the production at La MaMa E.T.C. It was a difficult role to play but it was a great experience.

Ny has played lead and chorus roles in productions at the Siddha Yoga Ashram in South Fallsburg, including “The Golden Tales,” “The Mahabharata” and the Indian Epic “Ramayana.” With several friends, she sang and danced in a “Broadway Musical Revue” staged during three summers between 1998 and 2000.

This past April, she began studying at Main Street Dance in Liberty. Her performance in the recent recital was impressive. Swaying, bending and leaping to the music revealed a natural grace that showcased her feminine persona, the flip side of being the mud-caked shortstop or the embattled black belt.

	TRR photo by Richard A. Ross Kalya Ny plays third base, shortstop and left field for the Fallsburg Yankees. (Click for larger image)

For the past two years, Ny has been studying choral music at Manhattan School of Music (MSM). While she has to awaken early to make the trip, the choral work, ear training and theory have made it worthwhile. She loves singing songs from Broadway shows. “When I was little, I would wander around making up songs.” She recently auditioned for the Masters’ chorus and Opera Workshop for Singers at MSM, which has also been a great place to make new friends.

A homeschooler who is not subject to peer pressure or school schedules, she can delve into topics that interest her, such as English history. Anxious to accelerate her high school studies, she anticipates going to community college next year and then on to college, travel and a career. Given her talents, many doors are likely to swing open.

Two summers ago she traveled to Norway to visit relatives and learn as much of the language as she could.

She loves animals, especially her dog and three cats. One day a week she helps out in the office of Kerhonkson veterinarian Dr. Eric Hartelius. She has renewed her interest in horseback riding, and on top of it all, she models.

Space permits only a limited view of this intriguing young woman. This week’s youth in focus is a genuine gem.