Ballet

It has always been a little girl’s dream to be part of the mythical world of ballet. Starting withthe gossamer tutus and the graceful point shoes, the art of dancing represents a blossoming
ardor in a young lady’s soul, giving her a feeling of levitation and self-discovery in this
tumultuous world.
My passion for ballet started when I was three years old. One day, my mom decided to take
me to a ballet class and see if I enjoyed it. As you may well figure it out, I fell in love with this
art, and the following fourteen years were to be a great ride.
When you enter a ballet class, a feeling of distinguished elegancy builds up inside you.
Moreover, once the teacher comes in, an additional feeling of reverence fills within you,
because the unparalleled lady who stays in front of does not only represent a unique
instance in the world of ballet, but also a strong, confident, diligent woman who has never
given up, and has constantly gone beyond her limits.
I have participated in a variety of ballet competitions over the years, ending up being
awarded most of the times. When you are on stage with those beaming lights that glow you
up and your trust-worthy point shoes, you have to make every second count. A solo dance
does not last more than two/ two-and-a-half minutes, and that’s why you have to give it
your all; you have to remember every correction you’ve been made during rehearsals, and
apply it on stage. Most importantly, you always enjoy yourself: keep a wide smile on your
face, live through every move you make, and transmit all this amalgamation of unique
emotions to the audience. I can tell there is no similar feeling in our mundane lives to that
combination of moods that a dancer experiences while performing. Also, a ballet dancer
never gets bored of those whimsical feelings that penetrate him/her, because every show
has its different story, its different interpretations, and its different audience.
A couple years ago, I participated in a ballet competition in Saint Petersburg, Russia- where
ballet originates from. The competition took place at the Hermitage Theatre, which used to
be the royal theatre during the tsars’ era. The performance room, with its frabjous
architecture, radiated with grandness and majesty, making us all feel like princes and
princesses, especially when we put our costumes on for the big performance. Being
surrounded by all those highly talented dancers made me love this art even more, and I felt
extremely privileged for having the opportunity to dance amongst them. Besides competing
with two ballet solos, I also performed a contemporary dance for which I was awarded with
the third place. As well as that, I was invited to perform my ballet solos in the competition’s
finals.
Even though ballet is made to look effortless, behind the flawless representation one sees
on stage, there are hundreds of hours of dedication, pain, effort, and sacrifice. In ballet, it is
pretty much all, or nothing. However, practicing ballet is extremely beneficial for your body.
During a ballet class, each and every muscle- from the 640 our body has in its construction-
is put into motion, perfectly warmed up, and beautifully elongated. That being said, ballet
does represent a healthy way of working out. Of course, it is not necessary for one to take a
ballet class at the level of a professional dancer if one is not physically prepared; it is enough
to simply do that basic moves, at your own level, because you should never try to be like
someone else, you should solely be the best version of yourself).
If you ask me, the basic concept is similar to any other career one chooses: in any domain
one is asked to: work hard, work with passion, and most importantly, not work with hate for your peers. Of course, there is competitiveness in the chimerical world of ballet, however, it
is a constructive one, meant to motivate the dancer and make him want to become his best.
So, I can only describe ballet as the most spectacular art in existence. The best part about it
is that you never get bored, because a dancer practices and practices daily in order to
achieve that intangible “perfection”. Just like Galina Ulanova, a famous ballerina once said:
“It is only perfection in the foundations that can lead to mastery of the whole…Talent is
work.”