Poem about Classical Ballet

[DancingtoDance]

I have just written something about classical ballet.

 

Here is my "poem" (sorry it's so long):

 

Classical ballet.
A unique, traditional art, kept alive for centuries now.
A strict, yet beautiful art, despite its unfairness.
The unfairness of how passionate students with good technique, who have worked hard and improved significantly, may become expelled simply because they are too short or too tall, too fat or too thin, or how their proportions have become inappropriate for ballet.
Being expelled can be heartbreaking, especially at the later stage of ballet training, when your body has matured and you are starting to research companies that might suit you.
And heartbreaking too for those in the earlier stage of ballet training, when students have just gotten used to life at ballet school, and have grown to love it there.
Those with a perfect ballet body and clear talent can be great, but they need to want to be great and want to work.
Otherwise they will never get anywhere.
Neither would anyone else, if they don’t want to work.
Academics are also very important, even when you join the corps de ballet or become a principal dancer, if you are that lucky.
Because you never know if you will stay in the company the year after, and you will probably still need to make a living after retirement.
For those who worked hard and never made it, they were and still are part of the ballet world.
They gave everything to learn to dance, in hope to dance professionally someday.
But they accepted that their body had become unfit for ballet, or that they had an illness or injury that stopped their career before it started.
And they carried forward.
That incredible strength is so important, in anyone.
But for dancers, many things are different.
For one thing, your body is your instrument. It may likely be criticized, by teachers, choreographers, critics, fellow dancers, the audience - by anyone.
But this is all part of your unwritten contract. Because by choosing to be a dancer, you are choosing to be criticized - and that certainly includes your body.
Which is just as well, because a slight imperfection in your body can risk your career.
Especially since your body is seen by teachers almost every day.
And sometimes, by the public.
After all, your body is what creates dancing - a beautiful art form that is meant for an audience to watch and interpret.

Edited February 7, 2014 by DancingtoDance