The Rules of Ballet: A Manifesto
Humans are naturally lazy and
dancers have to work hard to overcome this tendency.
Take a
moment to look at the average person's posture and you'll see the truth in this
statement. Most of us shuffle through life in the default setting: with our
shoulders hunched over and our heads down.
There is always room for
improvement. If you think you are a good enough dancer, you’re wrong!
Ballet is
all about reaching perfection–your own version of perfection. There is always
something to fine-tune or something new to learn.
There will always be someone who is
a better dancer than you.
This is a
difficult reality to face but sooner or
later this is true for all dancers, whether it's due to skill or age. My first
ballet teacher used to tell us to never get comfortable or cocky because there
would always be better dancers out there. You have to stay sharp and constantly
push yourself if you want to reach the top. The good news is hard work and
persistence pay off. Work to the best of your abilities and you will forge
forward.
It takes hard work and discipline to
get ahead.
It also takes
ironclad willpower, indestructible courage and ridiculous levels of confidence.
But hey, no one ever said it was going to be easy. If it were, everyone would
be doing it.
If you can’t take constructive
criticism, you are in the wrong place.
By the time
you reach the professional level of ballet, you are not only able to handle
criticism, you live for it. Ballet dancers eat up “corrections” like most kids
chow on candy because they know if someone takes time to make a comment, they think you're worth it.
If you are too tall, too fat or too
lazy, pick a different career.
As stated
before, this is not a career for anyone not prepared to work their butts off.
Although the physical ideal in ballet is slowly changing it's still a much
tougher road if your body type doesn't match what ballet companies are looking
for.
The love of dance brought you here
and it will carry you through your career.
Every
dancer you see on stage today started with love of ballet in their heart and
the dream to become part of the magic onstage. That love is what keeps dancers
going day after day, sometimes working through pain in various forms. But ask
any dancer if they love what they do and you'll get the same answer: Yesssssss!
Ballet is equal parts dedication,
inspiration, and perspiration.
It's
definitely not for the faint of heart, either... or for anyone who minds
getting sweaty.
The human body is a dancer’s most
important tool and our biggest challenge (see Rule #1).
As
mentioned above, the human body is naturally lazy. Dancers have to fight hard
to overcome this tendency. Since top fitness is part of the job description,
most ballet dancers spend every waking minute keeping their tools in prime
shape, either taking classes, doing supplemental training like Pilates, stretching
or going for a massage (although this last activity is far less likely).
Ballet involves sacrifice (of
certain dangerous activities…including and most especially boys).
If you do
the math you'll immediately see why this is true. If x, the dancer, spends
almost every waking moment in a ballet studio that leaves y hours left
to do anything else. In this case y=0. But all kidding aside, there are
certain activities most dancers don't do because of the risk of injury or
because they will develop the wrong muscles: skiing, horseback riding, and
circus arts, just to name a few.
Whether you
are a ballet dancer or not, you probably have your own manifesto for life. May
it guide you well. Even if you don't resonate with Miss Roberta's manifesto, do
take her advice and wear deodorant.
Book & Author Details:
Wish by Grier Cooper
(Indigo Dreams #1)
Publication date: December 2nd 2014
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Synopsis:
(Indigo Dreams #1)
Publication date: December 2nd 2014
Genres: Contemporary, Young Adult
Synopsis:
For Indigo Stevens, ballet classes
at Miss Roberta’s ballet studio offer the stability and structure that are
missing from her crazy home life. At almost 16, she hopes this is the year she
will be accepted into the New York School of Ballet. First she must prove she’s
ready, and that means ignoring Jesse Sanders – the cute boy with dimples who is
definitely at the top of Miss Roberta’s List of Forbidden Things for Dancers.
But Jesse is the least of Indigo’s
concerns. When she discovers her mom is an alcoholic, it simultaneously
explains everything and heaps more worry on Indigo’s shoulders. As her mom’s
behavior becomes increasingly erratic, Indigo fights to maintain balance, protect
her younger brothers from abuse, and keep her mother from going over the edge.
When the violence at home escalates, Indigo realizes she can no longer dance
around the issue. At the risk of losing everything, she must take matters into
her own hands before it’s too late.
Purchase:
AUTHOR BIO:
Her work has been praised as “poignant and honest” with “emotional hooks that penetrate deeply.” She writes and blogs about dance in the San Francisco Bay Area and has interviewed and photographed a diverse collection dancers and performers including Clive Owen, Nicole Kidman, Glen Allen Sims and Jessica Sutta. She is the author of Build a Ballerina Body and The Daily Book of Photography.
Author links:
Blitz-wide giveaway (INTL)
- A dance film collection (Mao's Last Dancer, Save The Last Dance, Center Stage)
- 15$ iTunes gift card
- eBook copy of Wish
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