Dance is complicated, it requires artistry and finesse yet strength and perseverance. It’s a paradox within itself. I started dancing at the tender age of 4, during my first year of schooling. It began as simply a recreational activity, something to occupy my time with, I only danced a few days a week and wasn’t very serious about it, it wasn’t a profound interest of mine. I still participated in the Nutcracker every year, this was a very large commitment however my relationship with ballet was very much on the surface, I didn’t want to pursue it as a career and was still exploring other types of activities. I remember the exact moment that ballet became more than just an afterschool activity. I began to push myself, I was working harder and becoming more involved in ballet. I noticed how much I began to improve with hard work and the process began to feel very rewarding. Suddenly, a cloud of ambition and drive rose above my head as I began to take risks and push myself to a …show more content…
At my school, ballet became less and less about talent and more about how much money you spent. Despite this aspect, you could still push through the ranks and work as hard as you possibly could. I decided that I would have to use my strength and will to push myself to a higher standard. Think about this concept, hard work is essential to success and this can apply to many things, but can it outweigh money and conniving measures? The truth is money can buy a lot of things however it can’t buy drive. From here on out I began to focus solely on ballet. I watched endless videos and educated myself on the subject as best as I could. I stretched and conditioned my body everyday and devoted my life to this art form. Have you ever felt like a sponge, soaking up all of the information and instruction people give you? That’s how I felt during this stage of my
At the age of two I put ballet shoes on for the first time. At eleven I began touring with performance groups. By age twelve, I knew how to dance through broken toes and fractures.
The typical idea of a dancer is that they are tall, slender, full of energy, and lucky because they dance with all of the “stars”. Much of this is true, however, what many people do not think of are the many hardships that a dancer goes through in order to achieve their high status in the dance world. It takes much hard work and determination along with good direction to become a dancer. However, nothing good comes without a price. Dancers often times have many pressures put on them which can lead to physical and emotional damages. These damages occur through the pressures from the media, parents, teammates, and the stereotype that society has placed on dancers.
“Aim at softness and ease in your performance of dance. Endeavor that all shall be harmonious. However hard you work at your lessons or at rehearsals let none of this effort be visible in your performance. There must be no sign of concentration, exertion, or tension. All must be free and natural. For the true art is that which conceals the labor that produced it,” (Evolution). This statement by Cecchetti himself shows the world of dance and some of the things that are required of you. When reaching the professional level and auditioning for ballets this lesson is taught quite quickly. It isn’t realized before that time and can hinder the dancer quite greatly. Cecchetti was taught many lessons at a very young age and he became an amazing dancer, teacher, and choreographer because of the way he grew up. This path lead him to make a way where more people could get the opportunities he had. Cecchetti changed ballet greatly because he set up a new method that leads young dancers along the best path to become a professional ballerina.
Betty had a good start to her career. She preformed at country fairs and rodeos. Betty learned that her talent isn’t enough to make her successful, and there was always more work to be done. Betty’s natural talent made it easier for her to learn ballet from her instructor. She hadn’t learned the basics right and she became very frustrated because she had to go back to the beginning and learn those basics.
There are hundreds of professional dancers across the world waiting to reach their success, and out of those hundreds of dancers, I qualify in becoming one. Dance is my passion, my adrenaline, and my focus that keeps me persevering through life and its obstacles. Dancing requires a lot of dedication and hard work. “Successful dancers must have excellent balance, physical strength, and physical dexterity, so they can move their bodies without falling” (Dancers and Choreographers). If serious about dance, dancers have to have discipline in taking the time out to practice, study, and practice some more. If dance is what you're look forward to doing, I'd get busy because time waits for no one…
When I was about four or five years old, I was introduced to Ballet. I adored being a little ballerina and would read the same dance booklet everyday, practicing the five positions and gracefully positioning my tiny arms and fingers to match the little girl in the illustrations. Because I loved dance so much, my mother enrolled me in Donna Hammond-Phelps
Ballet is a beautiful and romantic type of performance art. It originated in the Italian court systems in the 15th century (Jonas). Since its origination, ballet has undergone many changes and gained worldwide recognition. Filled with elaborate costumes, cheering audiences, lights, weightless movements and beauty; ballet is admired by many. On the magical stage ballerinas can become whoever they wan to be, and perform in a world of fantasy. For these reasons, children, especially little girls, all over the world dream of becoming ballerinas when they grow up. However, becoming a professional ballerina is an extremely difficult accomplishment, in which few will achieve (Kelso 1). The world of ballet may seem to be filled with glitz and glamor but, behind the curtain there is an entirely different story. There are extreme demands and pressures put on these young dancers to be very thin and nearly perfect. Some of which include body and weight demands, competition, and social pressures. These constant pressures can lead to a negative body-image and even debilitating eating disorders (Price and Pettijohn).
I have been dancing since the age of four. I started my intense training with Tanju and Patricia Tuzer, Debra Bale, and Linda Brown at Tuzer Ballet. I developed as a dancer, attending every summer intensive performing in every show, advancing from intermediate to apprentice to junior company and finally to senior company. The dance studio became my second home. I took classes in ballet, pointe, modern, contemporary, tap, jazz, lyrical jazz, theatrical movement, hip-hop, zumba, and African-Ballet, pointe, contemporary, and lyrical jazz being my favorites. Even w...
Ballet has been an art form since the late fifteenth century, but society did not truly see the impact of ballet until the nineteenth century. Modern day thinkers possess the idea that ballet began with tutus and pointe shoes, but it wasn’t until the nineteenth century that this opinion was observed. Ballet has come a long way. It has survived the turmoil of many wars and has changed itself by accepting new ideas and impressing the audience with its unique stylistic views.
According to the Children’s Development Institute, ballet can teach a child to be able to be in front of people and to be confident in themselves. On top of this it can help children learn to follow directions, work well with others, and have a sense of self-discipline.("The Benefits of Classical Ballet, 2015). This website does not support any medical facts. Childhood is where our minds are molded. Of course, there are always genetic mental illnesses, but who we are as a person often stems from how we were raised. Ballet can help our minds with so much. We learn and grow from its beauty and its discipline. I have only been dancing in a class since last fall and I already have learned so much. Ballet is not only the foundation for all dance forms, it is a foundation for confidence and self-awareness as
After dancing over thirteen years at Annabel Timm’s School of Ballet, I was given the opportunity to help teach a hip-hop class for kids in elementary school. Every Wednesday night, I would meet fifteen little girls at the studio and teach them a new dance to perform in front of their parents. After only a few lessons, each girl became such an important part in my life. During class I would answer their questions about technique and different fundamentals of dance, but when class was over I answered questions about their homework and talked them through all of their problems pertaining home and school. I realized I wasn’t just a dance assistant to them, but I was a mentor.
After a while at being at the academy, Li got to know his teachers and they saw a lot of potential in Li’s ballet skills. They told him a lot of legends and stories that made Li want to practice and work hard at ballet and become better at it. “Sit down, I want to tell you a story”. Li trained hard, day and night, getting advice from teachers and students on how to improve, “I worked hard and listened to what they said”. Li pushed through injuries just so he could get better at ballet in hopes to get his name out there but most importantly making his family proud. “My rapid improvement surprised my teachers and classmates”. Therefore, by improving on his ballet it shows that Li has a lot of determination in getting better at ballet every day and he is getting more independent in this whole process of training and
Growing up, one of my priorities was dance. I started dancing at age five at the City Performing Arts Academy and at fifteen I began taking classes at Elite Dance Academy. From early on in my dance career, I aspired to be just like the older dancers at my studio. They were such beautiful dancers and I dreamed of growing up to be as talented as they were. I remember in one of my classes we were given the opportunity to watch the advanced ballet class dance. This was the first time I ever saw dancers en pointe. I was utterly awestruck. I could not wrap my head around how these girls could so gracefully and seemingly effortlessly dance on their toes; however, I knew from that moment that I wanted nothing more than to dance en pointe. Soon, I realized
I have been a dancer since the age of 3. My earliest memory of dance was when I was too terrified to go on stage during a recital and I refused to go on no matter how much they tried to push me. Up until the age of about 12, dance had been just a hobby or an extracurricular activity. In fact, I didn’t even enjoy going to dance. I didn’t have friends there and I wasn’t that good of a dancer. It wasn’t until I participated in Dance Bermuda’s summer dance intensive in collaboration with the American Ballet Theatre in 2012, that I realized that I had a passion for dance. At the program, I was exposed to other dancers that were my age and older and most of them were much more advanced than I. So to avoid being the worst dancer in the program, I took to YouTube and watched hours and hours of dance videos. I researched all the ways to improve my ballet technique. I can remember trying to practice my pirouettes in the kitchen and falling onto the table and knocking a whole bunch of things over. I was determined to be as good as the other girls in the program. By the end of the two weeks I was fired up, motivated, and ready to get back to class after the summer.
As a child I always wanted to be in the spotlight. I was always the ham in family pictures, the one who had to excel past my brother, and be in the know of everything. When I was about twelve years old, I realized that entertaining people was what I was all about. Since I wasn’t any good at telling the jokes around the campfire or singing acappella, I thought about trying my dance skills. I liked dancing and I have always enjoyed music videos like Janet Jackson’s “Miss you much”, so I thought why not? What did I have to lose? With the support of my parents, particularly my mom, I went for the gusto.