| Sarah On Ballet . . . |
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| What does a 19 year-old girl know about ballet? Well . . . I studied it for 13 on those 19 years, so . . . I know a little, I suppose. I studied with the Pat Harris School of Dance, Ballet Idaho Academy of Dance, and Capital City Youth Ballet. I studied classical and contemporary ballet, jazz, hip-hop (at which I am terrible), modern, and tap. My concentration is in ballet, which I studied for the full 13 years. When I started dancing, I took ballet and tap once a week. After a few years, I took ballet and tap on Tuesdays, and ballet and jazz on Thursdays. I joined the Dance Electric Company at age ten, and danced with them for 6 years. By this time, I was dancing 4 days a week, and on Saturdays - Wednesdays were for CCD (religous education for Catholics). I started dancing with Ballet Idaho my freshman year in high school. I moved from Ballet Idaho to Capital City Youth Ballet my Junior year - susequently retiring from studies at 17 in exchange for my first job, spanding time with friends, and getting better grades in school. I knew I wouldn't go professional, and college was right around the corner - and here I am, and I couldn't be happier, but I miss dancing . . .a lot. |
| Would I recommend that parents enroll their little girls in ballet? Without a doubt, Yes! I would not be the person I am today without the influence of dance in my life. Physically - I can't think of a better workout, good for flexibility, which everyone needs as they get older, and it's certainly safer than most sports (at the lower levels, anyway) I had one minor ankle sprain in my entire time dancing. Mentally - one is forced to deal with the aspect of performing in front on many people, dealing with critisism from teachers, and the pressure to strive for something better from peers. Socially - one is forced to interact with many people in close quarters, at times of stress, and learn to cooperate and work around other's needs as well as your own. Intellectually - Studying ballet immersed me in the French language, fostering a love for learning it beyond ballet terms. I gained an interest in Classical music and composers, a great respect for the arts beyond dance, and a historical knowledge of dancers and choreographers. |
| Here's a big question: Does ballet foster eating disorders? Well . . .it depends who you are. As a dancer, I was naturally thin, and the dancing on made me thinner - I worked off all the calories I consumed, and I was almost pure muscule. As I entered high school, I became more aware of my body, and the pressure to be thin wasn't just coming from the ballet world. But I never had enough willpower to stop eating - I would use Lent as an excuse to go on a "diet" but as soon as Easter came, I ate whatever I wanted - and it didn't make a difference. When I stopped dancing, I gained some weight and grew about an inch. As I've told many friends, "I stopped dancing, and got boobs and a butt", and that is true. I am now a sophomore in college, and I'm basically happy with my body - the dancer in me says I should still be thinner, but my gut says I look fine. I wouldn't give up my dance expirence for anything, no matter how much I weigh. |
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