Breaking Pointe is a new reality show that chronicles the lives of seven Ballet West dancers.  Based out of Salt Lake City, Ballet West is directed by Adam Sklute, a former dancer and former Associate Director of the Joffrey Ballet.  We follow the romance of two couples, the relationship between two brothers, a dancer who is unhappy with his career, a young dancer being quickly shot up through the ranks, and the company’s prima ballerina.  They sure do have all their “character” bases covered.

I want my readers to be aware that I refuse to discuss any of the events on the show that could be interpreted by viewers as portraying the dancers in a poor light.  After experiencing a little bit of reality show filming myself, I am fully aware of the way producers can twist situations and modify statements in order to facilitate drama and entertainment.  I am not accusing the producers of doing this, I am just realistic about the way they function.  I want to give each dancer the benefit of the doubt: what they said on the show probably came out a little different than intended.   I hope that, if you are watching the show, you will do the same.

The premier episode dealt with “contract week,” where the Artistic Director, Mr. Sklute, decides who will receive a year-long contract for the following season.  We are shown segments of rehearsal footage that are strung together to look like an audition for the handsomely dressed Artistic Director, clad in a suit.  (I suspect Mr. Sklute’s attire was something the producers requested of him, in order to make him seem more intimidating.)  This “audition” is quite unrealistic, as as Artistic Director spends an entire season evaluating his dancers in all aspects of their work with the company.  This way he or she can make an informed decision as to which dancers he would like to bring back for the next year.  I am sure Mr. Sklute, did in fact review his dancers in this way.  The audition segment was probably put together as a way to introduce the concept of the contract renewal process to the viewers.  I find no fault in this, as it was realistic enough and was captured in a tasteful way.

On “contract day” most of the dancers received letters informing them about their future positions in the company.  Two of the show’s featured dancers are called in for a meeting with Mr. Sklute: Bekanne Sisk and Katie Martin.  I really appreciated the conversation that Mr. Sklute had with Bekanne, the 19-year-old company newcomer.  He seemed so honest and open, explaining that he wanted to promote her, but not push her too far too fast. “Being a demi-soloist comes with a lot of responsibility,” he told her, discussing the importance of being a role model despite her young age.  This is the kind of conversation every dancer dreams of having with their Artistic Director.

Bekanne exits the office thrilled, as Katie enters nervously.  Her meeting does not go as well, as she is informed that she will not receive a contract for next season.  She immediately begins to tear up.  This moment really hit home for me.  This, in contrast to the first meeting, is the conversation every dancer dreads.  It’s as if you are watching all of your hard work going down the drain and having your career placed in limbo.  Even worse, she had to receive this dreaded news, while being filmed for a national television show.  The producers placed her in the empty theater to sob with sadness and disappointment.  Very cliché.

The dancers who received contracts, are set to return their paperwork to the administration in episode two.  Soloist Ronnie Underwood, is feeling unsure about committing to another year without a Principal title, when he “has been dancing Principal roles.”  (Again, somehow I feel this is drama that the producers pulled out of him.)  He sits down at a bar with other dancers in the company for an awkward conversation about deciding whether or not to sign his contract.  I can assure you, a Soloist in a company does not complain to his friends in the Corps de Ballet about their disappointment over not being promoted to Principal.  (At least I hope no one does that.)  So, another facilitated conversation and possibly a facilitated situation, as in the end Ronnie realizes that Ballet West is in fact the company for him.

In week two, Katie embarks upon her first company audition, leaving dancer boyfriend, Ronald, back at the Ballet West studios.  She calls him ecstatic after learning she has been offered an apprenticeship with Idaho Ballet.  Though the show is in fact getting involved in this couple’s personal life, this is a reality that a lot of dancer couples go through.  Dancers often find themselves moving to different companies in different parts of the countries, sending their relationships into panic mode.  With this relationship, I am sure the producers were looking to show interesting drama, but they may have unknowingly stumbled upon one of the biggest challenges that dancers face in their personal lives.

The show’s other couple, Alison and Rex, seem to have a complicated relationship.  This is a situation I am going to steer clear from as it is extremely hard for me to tell what is real and what has been tweaked for the show.  Again, I will give them all the benefit of the doubt.

We meet the dancer’s Physical Therapist in episode two, revealing the strain elite activity puts on the body.  This scene was very well done and very realistic.  We all live and die by Physical Therapy; most dancers will tell you it is the most important element of their career.  However, I don’t think I have ever seen a Physical Therapist putting a bandaid on the top of a dancer’s foot.  We usually are left to fend for ourselves on that one.  But again, it makes for good TV.  Nothing like a little blood to make us seem tough!

All and all, I think if you take the dancers’ conversations and personal interactions with a grain of salt, this show has the potential to give people a relatively accurate look into the world of ballet.  I do hope the show continues down the same road they have taken in the first two episodes.  Being on a large network like the CW, the show is sure to provide invaluable exposure for Ballet West and the ballet world as a whole.

In the end I must say, keep it classy CW: you’re not doing too bad so far.

Readers- Are you in Ballet West or know someone who is?  I would love to hear more about how Breaking Pointe was filmed and what you think about it.  You can either leave a comment here, or email me directly at rebecca@tendusunderapalmtree.com.  Not associated with Ballet West at all?  I still want to know what you thought of the show!  Sound off here!

Recipe three is sure to satisfy that burger craving, without all the calories!  I found this recipe a couple years ago on www.epicurious.com.  I have made a few small changes, but I cannot take all the credit for this winning dish!  I love to pair this with my recipe for guacamole and a side of fresh corn, recipes for which you will find below.

Epicurious Black-Bean Burgers

Epicurious Black-Bean Burgers Nutrition facts:

Servings: 4           Calories: 422           Fiber: 17g          Protein: 17g

Ingredients:

2 (14-oz) cans of black beans, drained and rinsed

3 tablespoons mayonnaise

1/3 cup plain bread crumbs

3 teaspoons ground cumin

1 teaspoon Sriracha sauce

1/4 cup chopped cilantro

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil (EVOO)

4 whole wheat hamburger buns

Directions:

Total Cooking Time: 15 minutes

1.  In a food processor, blend one can of beans, mayonnaise, bread crumbs, cumin, and Sriracha sauce into a course purée.  Transfer to a bowl to mix with cilantro and the second can of beans.

2. With damp palms, form into four patties.

3.  Heat EVOO in a large skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Place burgers onto the pan and cook until lightly browned.  Flip to cook other side.  Cook about 4-5 minutes total.

Place burgers onto the pan and cook until lightly browned.

4.  Serve on whole wheat buns with home-made guacamole and arugula.

Guacamole Nutrition Facts:

Servings: 4             Calories: 102              Fiber: 7.8g           Protein: 1.38g         Potassium: 288mg

*Potassium is great to prevent muscle cramps during high activity.  Other foods high in Potassium include: potatoes, bananas, raisins, spinach, and tomatoes.

Ingredients:

2 avacados

1/4 cup chopped red onion

1 small Jalapeño pepper, chopped

4 tablespoons chopped cilantro

1 vine tomato, cubed

salt

Directions:

Total Active Time: 10 minutes

1.  Cut two avocados into large cubes.  Using potato masher, crush until desired consistency is achieved.

Cut avocados into large cubes.

Ingredients for guacamole

2. Stir in tomato, pepper, onion, and cilantro.

3.  Season with salt to taste.

Fresh Corn Nutrition Facts:

Servings: 4             Calories: 77.5             Protein: 2.235g

Ingredients:

2 fresh heads of corn

1 tablespoon of whipped butter

salt and pepper

Directions:

Total Cooking Time: 10 minutes

1. Using a knife, cut corn kernels off the cobb over a sauté pan.

2. Add butter, salt and pepper and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes or until tender.

Serve Black-Bean Burger with arugula, topped with guacamole, next to a side of fresh corn.

Recipe two brings you my spin on my favorite Italian dish, Risotto: Roasted Tomato, Basil, and Mozzarella Risotto with Grilled Shrimp. Oven roasting the tomatoes takes about 5 hours, so I like to make this meal on my day off. I often roast a double recipe and freeze the tomatoes with a little olive oil, to use in pastas or other dishes; you can really use them in anything! Roasting the tomatoes makes them sweeter and more flavorful, similar to sun-roasting, but much more accessible.

Roasted Tomato, Mozzarella, and Basil Risotto with Grilled Shrimp

Nutrition facts:

Servings: 4           Calories: 430           Fiber: 2g          Protein: 15g

Ingredients:

1 pound vine ripe tomatoes

1 cup arborio rice

14-16 medium shrimp

2 cup chicken stock

1 cup white cooking wine

1 small yellow onion

6 garlic cloves

1/8 cup fresh basil

1/8 cup fresh mozzarella

1tsp red pepper flakes

2 tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil

Reduced balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

Paprika

Parsley to garnish

Directions:

Active cooking time: 30 minutes

1. Pre-heat oven to 200 degrees. Slice vine tomatoes and place on a cookie sheet without overlapping slices. Distribute peeled garlic cloves among the tomato slices. Drizzle with EVOO and sprinkle with red pepper flakes to taste. Always use slightly less than you think, in order to avoid making the dish too spicy. Place in the oven for about 5 hours until the tomatoes appear dried. Flip the slices midway. Roughly chop the tomatoes and place in a bowl. Chop the garlic and set aside. Tomatoes and garlic can be prepared ahead of time.

Roasted tomatoes roughly chopped.

2. In a sauce pan, warm one tablespoon of EVOO over high heat. Sauté chopped yellow onion until transparent, about 3 minutes. Add arborio rice and stir until every grain is coated in oil. Add white wine and reduce heat to medium low. Season with Salt and Pepper. Stir in chopped garlic and cover.

3. Once the rice has absorbed the wine, stir in roasted tomatoes.

4. Continuously stir, adding the chicken stock as the rice absorbs the liquid.

5. While the rice is cooking, prepare the basil and mozzarella. To cut the basil, stack leaves and roll tightly. Chop across the roll and continue all the way to the top. This will create long strips of basil. Cut the Mozzarella into half-inch pieces and set aside.

Stack leaves and roll tightly, then cut.

Fresh Mozzarella

6. The shrimp will be cooked separate from the Risotto, either on the grill or the stove. Season with EVOO and paprika for color. Cook for about 5-7 mins depending on size.

7. Moments before serving, stir the mozzarella into the rice, allowing it to melt. Stir in basil once the mozzarella is incorporated.

To Serve:
Place Risotto in a shallow bowl and drizzle with reduced balsamic vinegar. Place 3-4 shrimp on top and garnish with parsley. For a real treat, pair with a Paraduxx Napa Valley Red wine and enjoy!

Serve with a Paraduxx Napa Valley Red.

For more Cooking For Dancers dishes, click here.

Today, we will start off with Grilled Chicken with Polenta, Caramelized Onions, and Asparagus.

Chicken with Polenta, Caramelized Onions, and Asparagus

Nutrition facts:

Servings: 4     Calories: 401   Fiber: 4.2g    Protein: 31.9g     Potassium: 219mg*

*Potassium is great to prevent muscle cramps during high activity.  Other foods high in Potassium include: potatoes, bananas, raisins, spinach, and tomatoes.

Ingredients:

2 medium chicken breasts, boneless, skinless

1 large yellow onion

1 cup polenta

16 spears of asparagus

4 cups chicken broth

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (EVOO)

1 tablespoons brown sugar

1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

1 pinch of baking soda

Salt and pepper to taste

Chopped chives

Directions:

Total cooking time: 45 minutes

1. Chicken can be grilled, poached, or baked. It will be cooked separately from the rest of the dish.  Depending on size, the chicken breasts should cook for approximately 20 minutes.  Start the chicken about 10 minutes after starting the onions and before beginning the polenta.

2. Cut the large onion into slices approximately a quarter inch in thickness.  Separate all the slices so the layers of the onion are not sticking together.  Warm a fry pan over high heat.  Drizzle 1 tablespoon of EVOO in the pan and add the onions.  Sauté until transparent.  Lower the heat to medium low and leave to cook down, about 30 minutes.  Stir occasionally. After fully cooked, stir in brown sugar and bring to low heat.

Separate the slices so the sections do not stick together. Then place in a pan over high heat with EVOO.

Once the onions are done cooking down, they will look like this.

3.  In a medium sauce pan, bring chicken broth to a simmer then stir in polenta.  Cover and cook for 20-30 minutes.  When all the liquid has been absorbed, add parmesan cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

4. While the polenta is cooking, prepare asparagus by cutting off the bottom of each spear.  If you are able to buy nice thick spears like those often sold in California, peeling the outer skin improves the flavor and texture of the vegetable.  Bring half a pot of water to a boil.  Add salt and a pinch of baking soda.  This pinch of baking soda helps to preserve the beautiful green color in each spear.   Place the asparagus into the water for no more than 2 minutes.  Drain and drizzle 1 tablespoon of EVOO.  Add a dash of salt to taste.

Peeling the asparagus spears

To Serve:

Place polenta on a plate or shallow bowl.  Top with caramelized onions and sliced chicken.  Frame the plate with four spears of asparagus.  Sprinkle with chopped chives.  Pair with a California Pinot Noir and enjoy!

Pair with a California Pinot Noir.

This week, the mothers were shown placing even more pressure on their young dancers.  We saw a tearful exchange between Jessi and mom, Susan. Susan told her daughter how disappointed she was that she landed at the bottom of the studio directors’ weekly evaluation, or “the list,” telling her daughter to work harder, saying, “You owe me this.” Jessi was in hot water after her behavior at last week’s competition when she was caught pulling the team’s trophy out of a teammate’s hands.  After being reprimanded by the studio’s directors, Angel and Victor, the dancers were given an exercise to evaluate each other’s attitudes.  Jessi said of the experience, “It made me realize that I have to work on myself.”  I was so impressed by this mature reaction to the situation.

This week, a new element of the show was brought to light for me: compassion.  Not compassion of the mothers, but rather the compassion and team spirit of the dancers.  These kids have to overcome so much in their relationships with their mothers, that in the end, they band together in support of each other.  These dancers ability to support each other, despite the competitive spirit that is constantly being instilled in them, is quite remarkable. I found myself able to immediately identify with this sense of camaraderie.

This sense of support and team work, is an element of the show that is actually realistic. Often as dancers, we don’t have to ability to control the world around us, but one thing we can be certain of, is the support of our peers. By coming together in challenging times, we can support each other and be there for one another. Everyday I feel fortunate to find myself working in an environment where I feel supported by the dancers around me and I feel it is my duty and my goal to always support them in return. This is a lesson these young dancers are learning early and something that will stay with them forever.

I would like to preface my observations by admitting my addiction to mindless reality shows; yes, I watch the Real Housewives and shows of the like.  So today when I pressed play and delved into “Dance Moms: Miami’s” first episode, I worried that I may find myself with another guilty pleasure show.

Taking place in, you guessed it, Miami, this new series follows two dance instructors, Angel and Victor, and a group of competition dancers at the dance studio, “Stars.”  As you also have probably guessed, the main focus is dancers’ mothers, who are the epitome of the so called “stage mother.”  Their lives revolve around the studios and pushing their children to succeed.

In episode one, the real drama starts when a new student enrolls in the studio and is immediately given a much-desired solo at the upcoming competition.  One dancer will only be dancing in an ensemble number in the performance, reacting by saying that she looks forward to being able to use that opportunity to stand out and show the audience what she is made of. Her mother reacts to the news by crying and saying Angel and Victor do not understand her talent.  She later says “[My daughter] knows that this means everything to me.”  But what does it mean to her daughter?

The youngest of the group is nine-years-old.  She tells us about her daily routine: “I wake up at 4 o’clock every morning to do my homework, then I go to school, then straight to dance.”  That is not a healthy routine for any human being, let alone a nine-year-old child.

The mothers all admit that they are more competitive than their children.  At the end of the episode, while preparing for the competition, the women engage in a heating yelling match over who is being the best mother, while the dancers look on.  One of the studio’s choreographers, Angel, says at one point, “The mothers behave like animals.”  That is putting it politely.

Throughout the show, I felt so horrible for these dancers.  They are being pushed and pulled from every direction by their mothers, whose hostile and aggressive behavior has to be hard for America to watch.  Dance should be something that excites you, inspires you to push yourself to the limits, and enriches your life.  Where does their drive and dedication come from?  In the introductory interviews, dancer and mother sit side-by-side to introduce themselves.  There are five dancers.  In these interviews, only one dancer said she loved to dance.

I do hope that viewers understand that this is not a realistic look into the world of dance. Though there are competition schools across America who have their very own version of these Dance Moms, that is not the norm.  What you are seeing is overly dramatized.   These women are setting a horrible example, not only for their children, but for other mothers and dancers across the country.

So will “Dance Moms: Miami” teach Americans about the magical world of dance? Absolutely not.  I am still waiting for the show that educates and encourages people to learn more about the dance world by inspiring them to become audience members.

One thing that has sparked my attention recently has been shooting and producing YouTube videos for my site, as well as the Miami City Ballet blog. With nothing more than my Mac, my iPhone, and microphones, I have put together the seven videos you will find below.

This is a platform that I will continue to explore in the future, to bring my audience even more exclusive behind the scenes content.

Please feel free to like these videos on YouTube, share them with your friends, and leave me feedback! Also, you can always send me a tweet, @bexking, to contact me directly.

Happy viewing.

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Reflecting On The World Premier Of Viscera With Liam Scarlett
(© Miami City Ballet)

Our Nutcracker Memories- Part Two
(© Miami City Ballet)

Our Nutcracker Memories- Part One
(© Miami City Ballet)

Twyla Tharp’s “In The Upper Room”- From Two Perspectives
(© Miami City Ballet)

George Balanchine’s “Square Dance”- From Two Perspectives
(© Tendus Under A Palm Tree)

Miami City Ballet dancers are “Americans In Paris”
(© Tendus Under A Palm Tree)

Part Deux: Miami City Ballet dancers are “Americans In Paris”
(© Tendus Under A Palm Tree)

The curtain opens on an European town as an old man, Dr. Coppélius hobbles out of his house.  The town is mystified by this elderly citizen, as no one really knows exactly what he does.  A beautiful young woman is sitting on the balcony of his house reading a book.  As he looks up at her with delight, he renters his home.

Our story’s heroine, Swanhilda, now enters.  Dancing around the stage in search of something, we realized that she is young and obviously in love.  She spots the young girl on Dr. Coppélius’ balcony; a girl the townsfolk call Coppélia.  She is said to be the old man’s daughter.  Swanhilda waves to the strange girl, trying to get her attention.  Coppélia does not respond, as she is intent on reading her book.

Swanhilda hides as her fiancé, Franz, enters the stage.  He does not have a care in the world and would not find it odd if every girl in town loved him as much as Swanhilda.  He spots Coppélia, waves to her flirtatiously, and blows her a kiss. Swanhilda suspected Franz had been flirting with Coppélia and now her worst fears were realized.  Coppélia waves back to Franz from the balcony.

Swanhilda returns to the stage and accuses Franz of being unfaithful.  He sees that she is upset and denies that he loves anyone else.  She leaves in a huff as the couple’s friends enter the stage.  After the peasants dance the mazurka, the burgomaster enters the square to inform the group that the village will receive a new bell for the town clock tomorrow and invites everyone to prepare for the ceremonies and celebrations that will ensue.  The peasants are delighted.  The burgomaster goes on to say that he will present dowries to the girls who marry tomorrow.  He asks if Swanhilda and Franz will wed, she says no.  As night falls on the town, the group disbands and heads their separate ways.

Dr. Coppélius emerges from his house and is met by a group of young mean who tease him good-humoredly.  In the scuffle, he drops the key to his house.  He leaves on his errand, disgruntled.  Swanhilda returns to the square with her friends, and happens upon the key.  She announces that she wants to go into him house and confront this Coppélia girl that her fiancé has been flirting with.  Her friends reluctantly follow as the curtains falls on Act I.

Act II opens as Act I began, but the set is now the interior of Dr. Coppélius’ house. The girls enter tiptoeing hand in hand.  They are timidly exploring the space, as Swanhilda spots Coppélia behind a curtain.  Her friends encourage her to say hello.  After no response from Coppélia, Swanhilda discovers that Coppélia does not have a beating heart: she is a life sized doll!  Her friends laugh as she mocks Franz’s flirtation with Coppélia.  They spot three other life size dolls and they wind them up and dance delightedly around them.

The girls are so enchanted by the dolls that they do not hear Dr. Coppélius enter.  He chases them out of the house, as the clever Swanhilda hides behind the curtain where Coppélia resides.  Another intruder enters; Franz has climbed in through the window in search of Coppélia after being rejected by Swanhilda.  Dr. Coppélius is startled and begins to reprimand Franz.  Franz insists that he means no harm; he only wants to see the lovely Coppélia.  The old man tells him that she will arrive home any moment and offers him a drink as he waits.  Coppélius provides him with one drink after another, until he falls asleep at the table.

Coppélius gets out a huge book full of his magical spells, retrieves Coppélia from behind the curtain, and rushes over to Franz’s unconscious body.  He performs incantations that seemingly transfer life from Franz into the porcelain limbs of Coppélia.  To his amazement Coppélia begins to come alive.  Little does he know that Swanhilda is posing as Coppélia by dressing in her costume and performing rigid mechanical movements.  Dr. Coppélius is delighted that his magic has taken affect, only to start to lose control of the doll who is now acting like any young girl.  At the end of the act, Swanhilda is finally able to awaken Franz from his slumber.  Dr. Coppélius now recognizes that he has been fooled; that his beloved doll had been replaced by a real girl.  His disappointment overcomes him.  As Franz apologizes to Swanhilda, they escape the house together.

Act III opens on the festival that the burgomaster promised.  Dr. Coppélius exits his house into the square to demand some compensation for the mess Swanhilda and Franz made of his home.  Swanhilda begins to give him her dowry she had just received, when the burgomaster stops her and gives Coppélius another large bag of coins.  As Coppélius exits back into his home, the festival begins.  The peasant women in the “Waltz of the Hours” imitate a clock, as Dawn, Prayer, and the Spinner perform variations.  The ballet ends as Franz and Swanhilda perform their wedding pas de demux to the delight of the townsfolk.

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Giselle is ballet’s most infamous tragedy, as Coppélia is ballet’s most infamous comedy.  In Giselle ghosts test the love of the hero and heroine, and in Coppélia a beautiful lifeless doll is used as a romantic device to test the lovers’ devotion.  In Giselle Albrect learns a lesson from which he will never recover, Franz in Coppélia learns a lesson to sends him back into the arms of his one true love.

In Looking at the Dance, Edwin Denby wrote of the Ballet Rusee de Monte Carlo’s 1944 performance of Coppélia saying, “When you see their motions and physical proportions beautifully balanced, when you see them harmoniously overcoming impossible difficulties, you have seen a convincing image of what would make two lovers happy in a marriage.”  Denby describes an accurate account of  a passive hero and an aggressive heroine.

In 101 Stories of the Great Ballets, George Balanchine recounts Coppélia with the Russian Imperial Ballet as a member of the company and dancing in the mazurka.  He points out that the czardas and mazurka were first brought into the world of ballet with Coppélia, making divertissements based upon folk dances very popular.  The score by Delibes’ sets up the story line perfectly, providing cues and indications of movement.  Balanchine says, “Delibes is the first great ballet composer; Tchaikovsky and Stravinsky are his successors.  Balanchine created his own version of Coppélia on the New York City Ballet in 1974.

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Profiles of Other Great Ballets:

La Sonnambula

John Cranko’s Romeo and Juliet

Theme and Variations

“I love ballet but whenever I try to mention it to my parents they change the subject to school or soccer. I try to tell them that I am very passionate about dance but my family thinks that I cannot make a living out of dance. Can someone please give me some advice as to what to do I dont want my life to just pass by.”

I really feel like this is an important topic to touch on.  I know this reader is not alone when she brings up these concerns about her future.  Many young dancers dream of making this life their careers but need to educate themselves and their families on the potential of a professional ballet career.

Ballet is just like any other career in many ways: it takes hard work, perseverance, and determination to get where you want to go.  There will be many tests along the way.  Some young students find it hard to balance their social lives at school with their commitments to ballet. Some dancers will miss football games because they have rehearsal or skip the prom because of a performance.  If you find that your priority is and always will be ballet, you are not alone.  Every professional dancer in America felt the same way when they were in school.  It may be hard for parents to understand a deep commitment to anything other than school, but this unique dedication is what sets ballet dancers apart and prepares us for success.

Ballet is a career that demands the upmost maturity at a young age.  This field is all about youth: ballet careers are never as long as we would like them to be, so starting early is a must.  As a result, 17 and 18-year-olds find themselves living away from home, on their own, and supporting themselves, while their friends back home are packing and heading off to to a dorm room on a University campus.  It is indeed a very different life.

Because the average ballet career begins directly after high school, or even before a student’s graduation, there is not a moment to lose.  The reason why the majority of ballet dancers do not attend a conventional college is not because they are not intelligent, nor because they want to take the easy road.   It is because they are way ahead of their peers: they are ready to start their careers and they understand that time spent in college between the ages of 18-22 is precious time.  Trying to begin a ballet career after college proves difficult when other dancers your age have already entered the ranks of Corps de Ballet or higher.  However, a post-college career is not unheard of.  I do know of a couple dancers who have launched their careers after receiving their four-year degree.

Making a career for yourself in ballet does not, in any way, mean that you need to give up on higher education.  Through the wonders of technology, there are more options now than ever before for people to receive a college degree while working full time.  Many professional dancers attend school online or through correspondence to prepare themselves for a career transition after their dancing days are over.

Most importantly, you can make a living as a professional dancer: look at the rosters of every ballet company in America, and even in the world!  Every one of those dancers receives pay checks to do what they love.  Ballet is a career where you can support yourself.  But as we all know, funding for the arts is always a struggle and often dancers’ pay checks reflect that struggle.  There are many professional dancers who have a second job and/or immerse themselves in different projects to supplement their income.

As a professional ballet dancer, you will work harder than you have ever worked before.  Between class, rehearsal, and performances, you will find that most of your time is spent working.  You come home at the end of the day exhausted and worn out.  Performance weekends consume you and you treasure your few days off.  Your fellow dancers become your family and you support each other endlessly.  This is the life; the life you have worked towards for as long as you can remember.

The long of the short of it: very few people in this world are able to do what they love every day and make a living from it.  If ballet is what you love, explore your options.  Read about professional dancers, find dance blogs, look up YouTube videos, follow different companies, and talk with your parents.  Show them the possibilities that a career in ballet can hold for you.  You never know how they will respond, but it is certainly worth a try.  You may even be surprised.

There is a stark contrast between these classics and more recent works.  As would be expected over two centuries, our art form has drastically evolved.  The use of extensive sets and costumes are no longer relied upon to tell a story, as often straight forward stories are no longer depicted in neoclassical and modern ballets.  Pantomime, or the use of gestures to describe a story, is no longer utilized by modern choreographers, being replaced by the use of dancers portraying emotions with their movements.   In recent decades, music plays a much more central role in choreographers’ development of movement.

Classics created in the mid to late 1800s, bring us to conclude that ballet had a very literal feel at that time.  Elaborate story lines would be conveyed during breaks in dancing with intense drama and very little balletic movement.  These acting scenes make up a large fraction of these full-length ballets and can often break the momentum.  Because the story is told in such an apparent way, often the dancing doesn’t seem to have the same raw significance as modern works.

The nowadays dancer’s reaction to a ballet such as Giselle varies based on the individual’s background.  Some dancers live and die by the classics because that is what they grew up with and what they cherish the most.  Others were exposed to the potential that lies in newer works and learned to love the newer elements of ballet.  That being said, everyone respects the classics; they play a huge part in the development of the art form and forged the way for artists in the field.  These ballets popularized the art form that we love and depend on.

If you happen to be a dancer who doesn’t necessarily believe in these classical ballets, you must find a way to believe.  You must be able to hold these ballets in high regard because that is your job as a professional.  Through reading and discussing with other dancers, we learn more about these works and how to relate to them.  One of my friends discovered a book, Ballet and Opera in the Age of Giselle, which she found to be helpful in learning about how ballets were developed in the mid-1800s.  Through word of mouth, interest in the book spread, and soon numerous people were buried in their own copies.

Through the wonders of technology, the nowadays dancers have a great resource at their finger tips, YouTube, where thousands of wonderful ballet clips reside, waiting to be discovered.  By simply searching and looking through videos of other companies and famous dancers, there is a lot we can learn.  Dancers absorb a lot from other dancers, which makes exposing ourselves to these sorts of clips an absolute necessity.

So does every nowadays dancer believe in Giselle?  If you can’t tell as an audience member, then we are doing our jobs.  We believe in the art form and learning as much about it as we can.

Click here to purchase Ballet and Opera in the Age of Giselle by Marian Smith.