First Year in a BALLET COMPANY, how is it like ?
If you ask anyone who works for a ballet company (especially a big one), they will tell you the same thing: the first year is exciting but very stressful.
Why ? What is it like to work for a ballet company ?
First and foremost, it's important not to forget that everything will be okay; just don't worry. I know it's easier to say than to do. But, give yourself time, only time is needed, and only time will make a difference, of course, if you simultaneously help yourself.
At one point, we all start, we all don’t know, and with time (and experiences), we start to know. Simple.
Yes, in school, you could make mistakes easily, while in company, you are supposed to take responsibility for your actions like any adult.
Maybe, in school you used to have a teacher always there, correcting you, whereas in company you will be alone with yourself, your work, shape and progress will depend only on your daily choices.
Maybe you thought you would dance only what you dreamed of or what you liked, but in reality, you dance what the direction casts you for. Which means, no matter what you think, if you are a professional, you will have to do it greatly or change companies if it doesn't satisfy you.
Like in any other job, there is often a difference between expectations and reality.
Though I do believe that if you find the right company for you, your expectations might meet reality.
So what will you concretely get through ?
My first year was truly exciting, and I am not going to hide it. Finally, you get to become a professional ballet dancer, and all these years of hard work make you feel that it was fully worthy : you finally achieve this big dream of living from ballet, which means doing what you truly love. Who couldn't wish better ?
When dancers arrive in the company after graduation, they feel at their peak, like they are unstoppable, as if they will come and conquer everything. It happens. But rarely. I saw many talented students getting lost or not promoted, and on the contrary, I had colleagues in school who were not shining but then, unpredictably, in the company they grew to soloists.
Usually, when you join a company, you start standing in the corps de ballet (ensemble), and what will be mainly required of you will be to stand in LINE, pointe your feet more, dance in one place with no space, and move with everyone, which means trying to be unnoticeable. I am a little ironic, but it's in the short term like this and definitely not about beautiful 32 fouettés.
I remember that no matter what part I was dancing on stage, I was always full of joy, not only because I was standing on the beautiful stage of the mariinsky under stage lights and the audience's eyes, but also because I could wear such an incredible costume each time.
The moment I stepped under the light, I felt a huge responsibility and pressure to make everything as perfect as I could, and it was and is still a daily challenge.
Nevertheless, I can’t hide it: the first year was definitely tough.
All the repertoire is new, which means you need to learn a thousand steps constantly. In the case of the company in which I work, I could sometimes rehearse only once (luckily twice) before going on stage. By consequences, I was dancing anxiously, thinking about how to not mess up the choreography (and destroy the performance because of my mistakes). Imagine when, each week, there are new performances and different repertoire...
Then, the staff members and, of course, the director want to figure out your potential and where they could cast you in the future. Each time you dance, you will be meticulously observed. And finally... You are simply new; this signifies that, by definition, you will bother everyone until they get used to your presence and include you as a real part of the company. This is even more true if they need to repeat something because of you. With time, you will be accepted; with time, you will create very good relations with people; and with time, you will be comfortable in the Theatre like a second home.
As with any other company, the first months of work can be uncomfortable and destabilizing. They are more or less friendly places, depending on the inside politics.
But if it’s the place you were dreaming of working, the company you were dreaming to be part of, or the place you want to grow as an artist, then everything with time will be great, I promise you.
If you are unhappy, just change the company. We usually say that the first job is the most complicated to get because you don't have professional experience, but from the moment you get it, changing companies is not a problem anymore.
So don't worry !
Work hard, give the best you can, don't judge yourself too harshly, never lose faith in yourself, and don’t forget that patience is always the key to success, with a lot of work !
