BALLET THOUGHTS

For people who have never been dancing professionally, it might be difficult to understand what I say, but for dancers it's a normal daily routine.

Usually it depends on each dancer but most of the average they go in the ballet studio 30 minutes before class or even more, to warm up.

Each dancer start with their own way, they usually start some exercises for the feet and ankles, then while holding and facing the Barre they do slow cambré, followed by shoulder, torso, and head slow turns.

Adding slow stretching with the Leg on the Barre

Then they sit on the floor and slowly do the frog position for the turn out, afterwards they slowly proceed in larger extension as in the photos.

The idea of all this is to warm up the joints without pain and while they do all this they relax their mind and can hold this position for a few minutes like in yoga, with a deep breath in and out, then they change position same criteria, then repeat and repeat.

In winter it takes more time to feel tuned up and warmed up, while in summer it goes faster.

But believe me it is necessary to warm up before class, either smoothly and gently but above all gradually.

Never get in the ballet studio without any warm up, your class will feel and look different.

Once you get used to this warm up, then you can't get rid of it, for dancers it's a normal habit, for people who never danced it may feel like being compressed as in a sausage machine.

I always say to my students: Go to the ballet studio, before class, learn how to set your mind limits, strengthen your soul, meditate, concentrate, with your own built up warm up, it's the only way you shall understand the dynamic and potential of your body.

Before performance there is a special atmosphere in the air a bit similar as before preceded an earthquake that all is silent, everyone is concentrated on a thousand of things for the show.

But on the other hand being and preparing yourself to go on stage, it helps you to get more confidence in reminding some steps or difficult enchainment in some nasty parts of the choreography.

The atmosphere get ice cold when you hear that voice in the dressing room speaker:

That tells you, Corps de Ballet be on stage we shall start in two minutes time.

Depending on each individual emotions, many are the ones who control the situation, but there are some others who don't.

Symptoms of going on stage:

Feel cold in the hands palm, in the spine, mouth gets dry, heart starts beating faster, perspire with no efforts or doing movements, shoulders and neck nerves and muscles get stiff....

But, all this disappears as soon as you step on stage, which acts as a real medicament for the soul and body.

Dancers are so lucky to get this medicament, while people who never done ballet, performing on stage would become a nightmare

Doubts and fears are often as wasps,

Tears of sadness and tears of happiness could be as a tsunami,

Hours of training are consuming but are uplifting,

Performances are a gift but it has in return a cost not in money, but in dedication,

Rehearsals are as a guillotine a wrong move and you know that you will have to repeat again and again,

Perfection is unreachable and act as an epic nightmare with a ghost who become a constant enemy for your mind, you want to do it but you can't do it, because you are exhausted,

The days you are or you feel exhausted it seems that the whole world does not give a clue of your feeling,

Be well tuned and warm up before class, this is what they say, but the attempt is miles from reality,

So you decide to step back and meditate on your doing and undoing, all of a sudden you hear the music,

as if that music has the power to heal everything that upsets you,

finally you stand up again, and as if nothing happened you say into your brain:

If others can do it, I can do it better,

If others love dance, my love for dance will be indestructible,

Many up and downs are necessary and act as medicine,

This is the daily life on how dancers shape their dance, not only in technique but in the power of mind and power of love.

It's the key of success, heavy task yes, but you go for it, facing the world, the audience stronger than before.

When you become a Star of Dance, or a Principal, or just Corps de Ballet, always remember the words, the technical ballet whispers and advices that your very first ballet teachers gave you.

Now that your name may shine on newspaper or dance magazine, remember your teachers and say thank you.

Now that you are on stage and under the spotlights be compassionate and cherish these advices given to you at your very first classes.

Finally, your teachers believed in you, they gave all their love and full trust to your future skills, potentials.

Never feel shame to say:

Thank you my teacher..... You have done miracles on me with your teaching.

Your teaching has guided me not only in ballet but also in my life.

From stage wings to stage it takes one step, one second to change and transform yourself into an extraordinary individual.

All your life get challenged while you perform.

The difficult part is not really the dance technique or the role you are dancing but is when you return back to the stage wings, to your dressing room, while you return back home after Performance, you go to sleep but you are still captured inside that fairy bubble of each step you have performed a few moments before.

The atmosphere of that challenge will remain printed in your heart for eternity.

Even if as a retired dancer you shall go back to an opera house to just watch a ballet Performance, while the stage curtains are still closed, your heart as a radar will capture again those precious moments as if you were on stage again.

You will then feel your heart beats pulsing faster, the palm of your hands will perspire, you will feel a strong heat wave in your body.

You want to move but you can't as you are sitting in the auditorium chair.

People around will not even notice that "once" you were on stage, that once you performed, that once you were a star.

People will look to the new stars, but not to you anymore.

This is the circle of a dance artist life.

Always be happy of the past, the present and for the future don't even think about it.

You have been a dancer, you shall always remain as such, be proud of it.