Stumbellina

For my job, I have researched and gone through the financial reports of many charities and non-profits... and the information given is incredibly vague. They really can do anything with little to no oversight, with zero accountability— if they so choose.

Every time I have met a respected performer or celebrity, I have afterwards regretted it. Don’t meet your idols, kids

I just wanted to say congratulations! also, having read your blog, you sound like you made a very wise decision to eventually leave vocational school. i went through something somewhat similar when I decided to leave my own dream of being an opera singer (was at university, but I knew the chances of making it are like playing in the premier league or Formula one, and I didn’t want to teach..)... so I left and went to medical school instead. We all have our own natural gifts in life— for some people, especially in ballet, it’s a long neck, leanness, turnout, feet... But, like you— my greatest gifts are not my physique or coordination, but rather my mind. I am naturally long and lean, and the normal population considers me to be skinny. But, order to meet the height weight requirements of ballet or modeling, I would have to become anorexic. (As I would have to go 20-25 pounds under my ‘natural’ comfortable weight.. which for my body would be seriously underweight and would be an almost impossible task when it comes to restricting and being preoccupied with maintaining such an artificial demand.) Meanwhile, you see vaganova girls turned prima ballerinas.. who seem to flourish with ease... even having several children (so clearly fertility was not impaired, despite being 5’6” and 101 pounds), and then returning to the stage, body as perfect as ever. Personally, I feel you can do much more with a gifted mind than anything. Not to mention the limited earning potential even for those dancers who “make it”. You’re still too young and supported by your parents to have to deal with that yet, and so it hasn’t really hit home— but trust me, one day it will. Dance, or any art form, is a path of passion and a love— but if it is a career, what you put in should be reflected in remuneration. Ballet is seriously broken in this respect. Any other professional athlete, orchestra musician, etc. are all paid a comfortable living wage. Personally, I think the smartest dancer would be the one who becomes a physician. Particularly an orthopedic surgeon! One who specializes in dancers, as the demands on the body and injuries are so very particular and specific to ballet. Dance critic (Oxford would give you an almost free ride to the top), scholar and writer of books, management, teacher... all of those would let you indulge in your passion but pay you at least twice as much. You have so many options!! ETA: the weight chart for the bolshoi is available by google search. It is quite eye opening, if you haven’t seen it.. amazes me that some body types are able to be so very very tiny, yet have the strength and energy to perform so brilliantly, and still be *healthy.*