It seems that a large majority of Cal High students participate in extracurricular activities.

But it is unusual for a student to participate in three highly competitive events and excel in them like Erika Shen does.

Shen, a sophomore, has been playing piano, dancing ballet, and skiing since she was five years old.

She dedicates countless hours of her time to her hobbies and still manages to fit in various honors and AP classes.

“My typical schedule in a week includes about six hours of dance practice, too many hours for piano, and around 11 to 12 hours for skiing,” Shen said.  “Ski season and practices only occur during the winter season, so I get a little break, which is really nice.”

On the dance floor, Shen’s mentor and coach is Gayle Farley from the San Ramon Dance Academy.

Since age seven, Shen has been Farley’s student.

“Erika is an amazing ballet dancer and I’m extremely proud of her,” Farley said. “She has the grace, beauty, poise, and strength that is essential to dance ballet.”

Farley said Shen is constantly  adding to her accomplishments, noting she has won many competitions and awards for ballet.

When she’s not dancing, high up in the mountain tops is where one can probably find Shen during the winter weekends.

On her elite ski team, Shen frequently travels to Lake Tahoe or even out of state to places such as Colorado, where competitions are held for many high-level skiers.

“Skiing is probably what I enjoy the most,” said Shen. “It’s exhilarating to complete jumps and navigate my way through the course.

“My all-time favorite trick is the under flip,” she continued. “It’s somewhat hard to land, but it’s still one of my favorites, even at practice.”

By Shen’s definition, an underflip is a ski jump trick in which one is positioned at a 90- degree angle from the slope, and drop a shoulder down to complete the trick with 270 degree rotation, landing backwards.

She has been on her current competitive ski team for two years, and her coach, Ben Lehouski, has really helped her improve her technique and refine her skills.

Last, but not least: Shen’s piano life. Zita Sandor, Shen’s piano teacher, has mentored her in piano for 10 years.

“Practice, technique, and patience are key to being a successful pianist,” Sandor said.  “Erika is an extremely determined student and definitely has come a long way since I first started teaching her at age five. She is, without a doubt, one of my best students.”

Piano is something Shen has spent a lot of her time and effort on.

To be extraordinary at piano like Shen, practicing everyday is imperative.

Her preferred piece of music to play on the piano is “Barcarrolle” composed by Jacques Offenbach and written by Péter Nagy. It is a famous Italian folk song.

“Barcarolle is not really a hard piece to play, or something impressive to show off at competitions, well maybe sometimes,” Shen said. “It’s just something I enjoy to play when I get stressed.”

“Being able to play it and maintain the control of its tone, dynamics, and voicing, is something I really pride myself on.”

Skiing, dancing, and playing the piano all have their benefits. Shen said playing the piano has really helped her with her attention span and has heightened her love for music.

As for ski and dance, both require many hours of practice on her feet.

“She’s an extremely talented dancer and she’s definitely one of the best role models I know,” said Keila Barrientos, one of Shen’s close friends.

After high school, Shen dreams of attending an Ivy League university and wants to major in computer science.

As for her hobbies, she would love to continue playing piano and skiing while pursuing her education.

When asked about where she thinks she would be 10 years from now, Shen said, “I’d love to be successful like every other person, but you never know.

“I try to live in the moment as much as possible,” she continued. “It makes all the pressure on me less of a burden.”

Through all her hard work and perseverance, it’s uplifting to know that Shen’s future will be bright, no matter what path she decides is best for her.