Before we start, let me tell you something: My first contact with ballet was with 3/4 years old, then 5 and at 7 I officially entered a huge ballet school. I loved ballet so hard that when the class was finished I couldn’t wait until the next one. I had the passion, the time, the age, the body. I spend six years there until I realize I wasn’t learning nothing. Nothing. I changed to a better Studio, and they were professionals, so I realize how much time I lost, I knew no steps names, no technique, nothing. I was 15 by that time (I’m 18 today).
Meanwhile a lot was in my mind, I felt terrible for struggling with ballet in every single aspect, I had two tests a week in the school plus afternoon classes once a week, there was a lot going on. To summarise everything, I decided to stop ballet because I couldn’t see a future on it and I felt extremely disapointed with myself and the old school. Then a friend of mine told me there was a great teacher in a art school near home and after two months I stopped I was back to ballet, practically in level zero again. I was restarting ballet at 16. You can imagine how much I still struggled and struggle everyday. So, Yes, I know what I am talking about, trust me. I learned to deal with it and I wanted every single person in the world to know they are not alone.
So, I’ll make a list:
I. Calm down
By that point, you probably suspect you are not the best, you feel terrible and appears that everybody can improve at least in something, but not you. We all have been there. Don’t stress about that, it’s perfectly normal and even if you can’t see it, if you are worried enough and caring enough to work hard on your dreams, it maybe don’t show today, but improvement will come with time and hard work. Give yourself some time to see it.
II. Don’t give up on your first disappointment
Dancers may be a little more perfecctionists in their jobs than the others, specially talking about technique and our bodies. We all have bad days; days when don’t turn as much as we want, days in suck in class, times when we seen to not being aswering the way we need, but, hey, it’s one day, and maybe it’s not even near to good today, but tomorrow is another story and also all the other days, better times are coming! Inspire yourself with some videos, give yourself some time to relax, listen to music, try to give some time to your mind, stretch a bit, you’ll feel better in the other day.
III. You are your only limit!
Human bodies have endless capacities and we all have potential, so, if you want to achieve great flexibility, if you want to conquer that scorpion/needle/scorpion/oversplit you need to word hard, nothing comes easy in this dance life. Some bodies are not as flexible as others, some people have a good natural back flexibility (unfortunately, not my case), or just are naturally flexibles and other struggle in their splits. In all this cases we have a common thing: if you want it, you need to workout, to stretch and to be determined. Stop procrastinating and go reach your dreams!
(Image from Pinterest)
IV. Not because everybody does it it’s right
Sometime ago, I was in stretch class and me and all my friends were struggling so hard to do the exercises that I decided to change myself and start to create a stretch schedule and follow it every day. In the other class, I could do the exercises in a much easier way and without die before the end of the class, in the other hand, my friends were still dying in the half of the time. If I had continued doing what they were doing (using their time to school, social media, a normal life without take a bit of time to focus in ballet)I probably was going to be the same, and no change was going to be visible. A quote I love tells that “sucess is not for the lazy.”
V. Don’t care so much about age
Yes, age is important to be a professional ballerina and they say yonger you start, better it is, however it’s always possible. Misty Copeland started ballet at 13, considered late to a ballet start, and she became a star, one of the most beautiful ballerinas nowadays. I am not a professional ballerina – and even if it hurts me to the soul – I probably won’t works as a ballerina, but I am dancing and learning and as long I can do it I am happy. A lot of ballet students fight agaisnt time and still late, they actually become ballerinas, you can always work and believe you can until you do it! Carry on!
VI. Yes, you can!
It’s important to keep motivating yourself, because the gold come to hard workers. Ballet isn’t a fair or easy world, but it is rewarding to these who keep themselves fighting. Work, search, research, workout, stretch, believe, it will all be worth it in the end.
Hope this helped in some way, if you need or want to talk about it or make any questions, I am right here, contact me through the comments.
(Image from Pinterest)
Good luck!
Arissa Ayumi
Arissa Ayumi 