THE INCREDIBLE LIFE OF A BALLERINA …
In the previous post, I showed the dark side of life as a ballet dancer, or the truths only people working in this world know.
Of course, you could wonder why, after writing such things, I myself chose this profession and still dance as a professional.
Maybe if I knew, I would have chosen another profession... or definitely no, because I love this profession, and no matter the upside down, I feel like the most lucky person in the world. But why ?
First and foremost, I do what I love. Ballet is my passion—a passion that became a job. I didn't search for a job because I needed to live; instead, blessedly, I do what I love and earn money.
As Confucius said, “Choose a job you love, and you will never have to work a day in your life.”
I believe in some way in destiny, and ballet has been a gift to me to grow, to learn about myself, and to explore myself on many levels and aspects.
I want to share with you today the incredible positive aspects of this profession.
You understand early what you truly want in life, what is important or not, and what your priorities are.
You will have to learn to make choices. With little time and most of your time dedicated to dance, you will not be able to lose yourself. Maybe some people consider it a pity to not be able to do or try everything, but on the other side, what you will do will be only what you truly want to.
You will discover the incredible power of your body and your mind. There are days of despair when nothing seems to work, but then they will be followed by days when you feel so powerful. Your body will grow and adapt, showing you that the only limit is in your head.
You will learn to believe in yourself, to have faith in yourself, to trust yourself and to face your fears. If you don’t, then you won’t be able to step on stage, and if you do, then you need a lot of determination to keep going no matter what is around you.
You will learn to not give a sh*t to other people's opinions. People will watch you on stage, obviously, but also your colleagues offstage. Some will like the way you dance or who you are, while others won’t. In any case, they will always criticize. Then you will understand that it doesn’t matter if you please others or not; foremost, you need to please yourself. When you like what you do or who you are, the opinions of others don’t matter anymore.
You will learn your value. You will receive daily criticism (what we call corrections) in order to improve. Of course, you can take them personally, and it will hurt, but if you understand that it’s not personal, that you are worthy, and that these critics are not against you but for you, for a better self, then you will grow and become more and more confident that you are doing a great job.
You will explore your sensations, develop your sensibility and connect to this energy inside you. Of course, there will be a point when you will try to control it, but it’s freely flowing, and if you welcome this creative energy, you will discover a new world inside you.
You will feel alive. I think this is what most artists look for. This feeling of aliveness is something that is lacking in our social world. Feeling alive doesn’t depend on what you do; it depends more on how you feel. The stage makes you discover so many emotions—emotions that go through oneself and change everything. It’s like living different lives in one.
You will get to know yourself better and understand how important it is to accept yourself just the way you are. Maybe because you spend hours watching yourself, trying to perfect your body, And learning to focus your mind. It’s a discipline that undoubtedly leads to humility and inner wisdom.
You will travel a lot for work and make incredible friends. With the company being invited to many different countries, you will discover places you would have never been to by yourself. We often believe that there is high competition in ballet and, by extension, in life. It’s true. At some point, you will understand that the biggest competition is with yourself. By spending a lot of time on stage with colleagues, you will create deep friendships.
You will meet other artists (some of them real geniuses) and, of course, real beings with whom you will exchange and create. Is there anything more priceless than that ?
You will wear all kinds of costumes and make-up, sometimes beautiful, sometimes hilarious. And it is so cool ! You don't need any balls, parties, or events for that, it's your daily life.
As most people notice, you will look like a ballerina, which means you will have an ideal posture (a perfect straight spine) and your figure will look gorgeous without even going to the gym because you train all the time. While training all day long, you will lose so many calories that you will be able to eat pastry without worrying about gaining fat. This is the cherry on the cake !
So, yes, I never regretted having chosen ballet, no matter how difficult it was sometimes. I think it's a quick way to learn a lot at such an age and to discover many worlds you would have never explored in your daily life.
It’s not a profession for everyone, but it’s a path of purpose and soul.
There is no coincidence. If you choose this path, it means you are willing to discover beyond the visible and explore yourself on a deeper level. Maybe. It all depends on you.
