fool's gold

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what inspired you to first dance? what first captivated your attention to the art which so many sacrifice themselves for? was it the satin shoes, or the tinkering of "the dance of the sugarplum fairy" in your great-grandmother's music box? did your interest pique at watching the dancers float, seemingly effortlessly, across an enchanted woodland? or do you claim the glamour of the white feathers, the glittering tulle, as your initial inspiration?

how long did it take for you to realize that glamor, like beauty, exists only in the eyes of the beholder? did you not realize it until it was too late to escape? by the time you understood the idealistic-seeming world so many strive for was more or less a sham, were you too caught up in the throes to give it up?

it happens to the best of us. i should know

kiss your foot modeling career au revoir

"it's a crying shame to see just how personality can change dramatically when we've got sore feet. it's a dance with pain but they do it all again. it's a love-hate thing when you've got sore feet"- "Sore Feet" by Mary-Kate and Ashley Olsen



dancers are perceived as light-as-a-feather fairies, dancing across the surface, smooth as glass. the hard work - and the pain that follows - are rarely credited.

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the reality is is that dancers, especially female ballet dancers, are faced with a host of challenges when it comes to a vital part of their body; their feet. ballet is very rough on the feet, and can lead to things much worse than athlete's foot.

cracked toenails. painful blisters. swollen ankles. tough-as-nail callouses...and that is only if you are lucky. not taking proper care of your feet, especially when on pointe, can cut your career as a dancer short, and lead to severe pain for the rest of your life.

the first and easiest thing to do to help your feet is to keep your toenails short, and your feet dry. keep them moisturized to help with any cracking. it will help the aching in your feet to perform a very basic yoga move; lie on the floor, a small pillow underneath your lower back bring your legs up so they are propped at a 90-degree angle. take deep breaths as you allow the blood to stop pooling at your feet; after sixty seconds, gently swing your legs back down to the floor. relief

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as repulsive as this might sound to the men out there, regular pedicures can make a world of difference to your poor feet. choose a salon with care; unhygienic ones will leave your feet in worse condition than when you arrived.

there are obviously more advanced tips out there, such as wrapping your feet, but I would go to your teacher for that advice. your feet are your instrument, and must be taken care of by the most qualified your teacher knows your feet much better than I do.

remember, just as two snowflakes, no two kernels of popcorn, no two stars, no dancer has feet identical to the other. be proud of yours, take care of them, and they will carry you far

never too little, never too late

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one of the most commonly asked questions on the internet about ballet is "am i too old to begin ballet?"

the short answer? no

the longer answer? depends. if you are aiming to be a prima ballerina with the royal ballet company, your chances are practically shot, if you are over the age of about twelve. there are many reasons for that, but the main one is based off the truth that most - if not all - the professional dancers in such a company begin lessons no later than six. there are few exceptions, but that said, there are exceptions. if you are a master figure skater or gymnast already, all hope isn't lost.

very rarely can all hope be lost; it is usually abandoned, cast to the side and forgotten about. left to die in a graveyard of the hopes of others, who have all certainly given up by now

if you've no intentions of joining a company, and just wish to dance to fulfill a dream, to become more fit, or get a hobby, it is never too late. i once met an ex-amish woman who took up adult ballet and bellydancing (i know some ...ah... very unusual people). as long as you are able to move with reasonable range of motion, and are not hooked up to an oxygen tank, you can absolutely begin ballet.


in fact you must. think of it; you never hear someone say that they wished they had never danced.

i walked with you in a common place

have you ever looked at a stranger and just knew that they were a dancer? maybe it was the way they held themselves, or the way they were dressed. perhaps just a feeling.

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you share a glance, perhaps a small smile. you nod in each other's directions, sharing knowing looks. because the odds are, just as you knew about them, they know the same about you

alive

why do we dance? why do we breathe? surely those things are interchangeable. surely they are one, as two beloveds, or the smell of salt and the roaring of the ocean.

as i write this, i am listening to a beautiful ballet, and am inspired to think how wonderful it is to be alive. because whether or not one is a dancer themselves, it only takes one experience at a ballet to fill one with a spirit that will change them forever.

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that spirit is the best kind of life there is