| Ballet training is a kind of boot camp. Especially a | | | | who make the base of dance in our cultures. After |
| summer or other holiday intensive. There is no | | | | all, who is putting out $150+ for the tickets every |
| complaining about heavy schedules, schedule conflicts, | | | | season? While I occasionally read a snarky comment |
| demanding teachers, sore toes or aching legs. | | | | on the fans' forums, the general attitude toward the |
| Everyone is jubilant to be there. | | | | favorite ballerinas and premiers danseurs is more like |
| No one has to explain to another dancer why they | | | | worship. |
| are there, why they love dance. Everyone else | | | | I went to a local dance recital and saw the most |
| understands the blood, sweat and tears of it. The | | | | amazing accomplishments on stage, by students who |
| agony and the ecstasy...shall I go on? The good, the | | | | would have been considered totally unteachable in a |
| bad and the....nitty gritty. | | | | more elite school. Which proves the point I've always |
| I spent many years in ballet schools where the | | | | made - if you don't tell someone they cannot do |
| chosen very few got picked to be trained. In fact, as | | | | something, they will, in their ignorance, go ahead and |
| time progressed, the ballet staffs I worked with | | | | learn how to do it. |
| knew less and less about how to train all but the | | | | It takes special teachers to draw the talent and finer |
| very few, because it was no longer required of them. | | | | details of artistry out of a highly strung, perfectionist, |
| Gradually evolution swung back again in favor of the | | | | self-doubting top-talent professional student. |
| recreational ballet dancer, and as schools grew, | | | | It also takes special teachers who will get a whole |
| non-professional courses were accommodated better | | | | school of lesser or "ugly-duckling" ballet students, |
| than before. And the fact that there are now so | | | | motley crews of physiques and late starter men in |
| many full-time teachers' courses, that shows the | | | | ballet, to perform excerpts from the classical ballets |
| cultural appreciation for well-taught classical ballet and | | | | in their recitals with considerable polish. |
| other dance styles. | | | | If you love ballet or dancing in general, how to dance |
| Many adult late starters choose ballet for fitness | | | | ballet your best is what matters. If you study |
| classes. They get a full-body workout, a kind of | | | | recreational ballet dancing, your dedication in dance is |
| pace, or interval training, and stretching. Along with all | | | | your dedication to yourself, and the inner world |
| of that, women and men in ballet get to experience | | | | where you dance. Thanks for letting us catch a |
| their own capacity for artistry and elegance. | | | | glimpse of it. |
| Dedication in dance shows up in all of these individuals | | | | |