A Look Behind the Scenes

What does the word ballerina mean to you? Does it elicit images of elegant arms, graceful leaps and turns in beautiful tutus? Does it seem effortless, as if they are floating around the stage in a beautiful, captivating dance? As dancers, that is our goal. We aim to tell a story that other people can relate to. We want it to seem easy so you can enjoy it. We want you to feel. 

Does it ever come to mind the hours of practice, blisters, and sore muscles that went into producing those feelings? Endless hours are spent perfecting every step, making it look effortless. We work on technique, pushing and pushing to improve ourselves until we are too tired to continue. Dancing ourselves into the ground to achieve the look and ease that these dances require. We run dances over and over, examining each other to spot any flaws. Working so much that we end up battered and bruised, with broken toenails, extremely sore muscles, and popped blisters that ended up bleeding through our tights.

I broke my toenail. This is the third time on this toe specifically.
Taken 10/29

Many people may think that this is too much work. They many ask why do something if it takes that much time and effort. And yes, for some people, that amount of work is just unimaginable. But for dancers, it is our life. We don't care that we spent countless hours on one dance. All that matters is that the audience felt something, that they enjoyed watching us dance. 

This video talks about what it is like to be a professional ballerina. So much work is put in to the productions that ballet companies put on. With all the work that they do, there is also a lot of pressure out on them. They pressure themselves in that they feel the need to have the dance perfect the first time that they do it. In the video, she says, "One difficulty is the mental aspect of getting up in front of many people...A lot of the time when things don't work, it's more the head that prevents you from doing it." A lot of the time, dancers, and even artists in general, tend to get in their own heads to the point of over-criticizing their own work.

I know that I have done this many times, as I just want to get it, and for it to look the way I want it to. I have come to learn that it can't always be that way. There are just some things that are out of our control, that we just have to deal with. I have tried to remember this as we have been continuing work on the Nutcracker. As much as I wish I was perfect, I'm not. I'm not at the professional level, and don't have the technique or skills of those who are. I constantly compare myself to others and knit-pick my dancing, trying to find everything that's even slightly imperfect. I get into my own head, and that ends up being a hindrance, preventing me from dancing to my full potential. 

To some ballet may just be a hobby to pass the time. To others it is something to watch, that will make them feel. But ballet is a craft, an art. It is a way of life.

Work Cited

"A Day in the Life of a Ballerina." YouTube. YouTube, 15 Mar. 2011. Web. 2 Nov. 2014.