Commitment to Pursue
Written in 2018 by Samantha Hope Galler 2019/Edited by Rachel Hellwig 4dancers.org
The regular physical pain of a professional ballet dancer’s life can be overwhelming. Every dancer experiences a different pain level during their careers. At a young age, the dancer is taught how to overcome and tolerate these types of pain whether it is physical or mental.
The regular physical pain of a professional ballet dancer’s life can be overwhelming. Every dancer experiences a different pain level during their careers. At a young age, the dancer is taught how to overcome and tolerate these types of pain whether it is physical or mental.
With time and patience, the disciplines required to pursue this life
become normality. Early on, while in ballet school, I learned that it
was inevitable to work with a commitment level of an adult. We are
forced to heighten our judgement to guide us through the challenges.
As I sit and think about how to write this article, I am struggling
to put it in to words. First off, I must say how truly lucky I am to do
what I love every single day. I am one of those people who jumps from
bed ready to tackle another day of dance. As I take you through a
typical daily routine, I want you to keep this in mind.
Tolerance
As you can imagine, dancers typically have a high pain tolerance
because of the demands put on their bodies. When I was first starting
out as a professional ballet dancer ten years ago, my days began at 9:45
a.m. and finished after 6 p.m. Then when I joined my second company,
the schedule changed to 10 a.m.– 5 p.m. with no lunch break. Now, at
Miami City Ballet, I attend class each morning beginning at 10 a.m. and
finish rehearsals at 6:30 p.m. with an hour lunch break.
Experiencing scheduling at a variety of companies has taught me that
there is always intention behind the day. Typically, a rehearsal day is a
combination of multiple ballets over the course of seven hours in
preparation for our performances. Throughout the season, depending on
our performance schedule, the weeks shift from Monday through Friday to
Tuesday through Saturday. Our performance weeks leave us with just
Mondays off.
I find the most difficult time during the year to be when we rehearse
various genres of dance all at once. Although extremely rewarding, your
body certainly feels the changes your muscles endure.
For example, shifting from a modern work where you might be in flat
shoes rather than pointe shoes puts a different pressure on your quads
and calves. You may develop blisters on different parts of your feet
where the skin has not callused over.
Typically, our modern works require a grounded intention and these
requirements can make the day more challenging. Each hour leading up to
6:30 p.m. may be scheduled for a different ballet. Preparing your body,
the right point shoes, and making sure to review the choreography
before presenting it to the room are all components of the day. I find
it helpful to plan out an hour at a time. This makes it easier to
approach physically and mentally and eventually a dancer develops the
habits in which are needed to tolerate this level of work.
Our season can include 10-15 works of which we learned the bulk of
between the months of August and October. During the month of January,
we shifted from Nutcracker season into rehearsals to finalize the rest
of our repertoire. We recently performed our Jerome Robbins Centennial
Celebration (Program Two) featuring five of his works. During this time,
we rehearsed Tuesday through Friday, performed Friday, Saturday,
Sunday, and rested on Monday. During the week leading to our
performances, the company rehearsed works from Program Three and Four
while still keeping Program Two fresh. These works included choreography
by George Balanchine, Alexei Ratmansky, Brian Brooks, and Jerome
Robbins. Once we approach the end of our season, we may begin work on
our repertoire for the next season before April and May pass. When I
explain what I do to people outside the ballet, they always wonder how I
keep all the ballets I learn straight. Honestly, it takes time to
learn and absorb all the material. I typically write down my material
once I have learned it and then spend time on my own in the studio or at
home to watch videos or review. It is one thing to remember a work in
the studio, but it is another to know it well enough to perform it on
stage without the mirror.
Patience
“Patience” is probably the most important word in the world of dance
to me—patience that is both physical and mental. The minute a dancer is
unable to endure the wait without negativity is the minute all
improvement ceases. Unfortunately, the life of a dancer is full of
heartbreak and frustration. This is the part of the job that the
audience does not witness.
People will ask me what I do during the day and sometimes I hesitate
because it is so challenging for me to explain what goes on in a mind of
a dancer during a 12-hour period. There can be so many ups and downs
and moments where you feel completely alone, but as a person living in
this unbelievably rewarding and sometimes confusing career, ballet
dancers are some of the strongest, toughest-skin human beings I know.
Mental Stability
It goes unnoticed because of our gracefulness and ability to maintain
calmness, but the day can turn negative quickly. After several years
of practice and training, I have found ways to compartmentalize the
positive and the negative aspects of the day. For example, the casting
board is a major component of a dancer’s day and overall season.
Learning to tame your emotions when you do or do not see your name on
the cast list is vital to the focus of the day. If you learn to
understand the casting and not internalize it will help you move
forward. There is usually a reason for why or why not you have been
cast in a specific role. These moments can fuel motivation to make a
change or improve. Another aspect of the day that impacts a dancer is
morning class. Class is a time to work on yourself and find an overall
balance for the day. Most non-dancers do not realize that professionals
attend ballet class every morning to warm their bodies up. We face a
lot of challenges in the first hour and a half of the day. As my own
critic, internal questions surface about overall appearance, placement,
or why or why not I receive corrections during class.
There is tremendous pressure to reach the look you desire without
psyching yourself out. I have grown to understand myself and feel
confidence in myself by reaching smaller goals that I set up. This
helps me continue on a steady path upwards rather than being beaten down
or defeated.
The audience does not see that side of us, but a dancer goes through
quite a wild mind ride when it comes to rehearsing and performing for
nearly 40 weeks a year up to 40 hours a week.
Developing this maturity starts through the structure of a typical
ballet class which we take every day. Classes require the dancer to
stand in formation and judge themselves. Critiquing your arm, head, and
leg positions in class forces us to be our own teacher too.
Oftentimes, it can be extremely difficult to stare at yourself in the
mirror. I remember one year, which I will not discuss, where I went
home and literally cried every night because I was not happy with how I
looked or felt. Winning the competition with yourself can be the most
difficult competition of all.
Consistent coaching and reviewing before approaching the stage is all
worth it, but there needs to be a balance. Perfection does not exist
and ballet is not simple. My ballet teacher of 21 years always says, “If
ballet were easy everyone would do it.”
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