We love summer...
(but we are counting down the days until ballet classes begin again!)
We look forward to the long, lazy days of summer all year. With no studying, a break from work and fewer commitments throughout August we find ourselves with hours of freedom to do what we like with. Perhaps you have been sunning yourself on a beach somewhere, or catching up with friends and family. You might even have been lucky enough to attend a dancing summer school session.
Still, if you are anything like Ballet Papier’s Ambar and I, you are missing your regular ballet classes! You know you are a dancer when you have to suppress an overwhelming urge to grand jeté down every supermarket aisle, resist impulsively pirouetting when in public and curb your compulsion to use any stable, waist-height surface as a ballet barre…
A rest does everyone good so we should not mourn our time away from the studio. Instead we ought to see this vacation period as an opportunity to refocus. Let’s use the spare time to rediscover our love of dance and set goals for the new term.
Before the summer ends, why not try to visit a theatre to watch a professional dance production? If that is not possible, there are endless videos of extracts of ballets - as well as informative interviews with dancers and choreographers - online. Seize these opportunities to observe technique and indulge in every chance to become immersed in the power of movement. Aim to revive your determination to flourish as both a dancer and a ballet fan. After all, it’s never too late to acquire new knowledge.
Every dancer wants to be flexible and stretching more could well have been your objective this summer. Hopefully you have made a start, but now is the time for us to really commit to our aspirations for the upcoming term. Whether your ambition is to increase your suppleness, sharpen your memorisation of choreography or develop your confidence – you can do it!
Our school years teach us to see September as a fresh start; a new sheet of paper to write on; a blank canvas to paint on. So put in the effort to set aside that extra quarter of an hour to stretch every day. Scribble down notes as a reminder of routines and make sure to read them. Be brave and stand at the front during dance lessons. Believe in yourself and make your new term the best yet.
When you are missing class, just imagine how good it will feel to finally be back dancing properly! Both bodies and minds need time to recharge. Upon returning to the studio, you will feel refreshed and ready to learn, improve and perform.
Despite all this, we dancers know that after those first few classes back we will be aching just a little bit. But ballet is our passion and we quite simply would be lost without it!