Career Development Plan - Ballet Dancers Needing guidance...

by Bethany
(Great yarmouth)

Career Development Plan - Ballet Dancers Needing guidance...

Hello odette, my name is bethany and i have been dancing fir ten years. I have found an obsession with dance, but i don't know if i am good enough for the future. Ballet is my main obsession and i wouldn't want to anything but it!! In my class and i not one to stand out and i am always given corrections. My teacher does say i have the physical and metal strength to go far i just need to work them together. What does this mean??
I also struggle with my flexibility. I can do left and right splits but i struggle with box. To be a professional do i have to be able to do box splits? I have tried other things as well, such as shouldering the leg but i am not good at that either. I practise morning and night and i can not see a difference. Do you have any tips.
I have a big problem with exams and i don't know why. I try very hard to get everything correct but before the finishing dance i go wrong and it throws me off completely and i don't know why! Then when it comes to my last dance i am worried about everything and i just freeze and i forget everything. I dint know if this is a confidence thing but i need to get over it if i want to be a professional dancer. Have you experienced this? Do you know what i could do to help me get over it ?

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Reply by Odette
To:- Career Development Plan - Ballet Dancers Needing guidance...

Hi Bethany,

Thank you for contacting me it's great to from you and your deep passion for ballet. I think is very encouraging your teacher saying that you have the physical and mental strength to go far. It means you have the right attributes and quality in your body for a dancer, but also the determination and intelligence to succeed. What she means by working them together is to use all your skills to your advantage to progress to your maximum. Whilst your dancing, keep your brain alert and work intelligently so you see more improvement.

There are professional ballet dancers I know who are not completely flat in box splits, so I don't think it will necessarily hold you back. Many young ballet dancers worry about this and you can see more details & stories about your flexibility in ballet here -

Ballet Dancers and Box Splits

It sounds like you are panicking for your exams, which is really common in all dancers. Even professionals can get extremely nervous and it's up to you to use the "butterflies" in a positive way to give you the right confidence and adrenaline. It is your mind which panics and suddenly you think "I can't do this", so your body freezes in reaction. Don't worry, it will take time to overcome the nerves but you really need to work on getting your mind in a calm state. I explain all about this in my eBook chapter Virtue 4: Mentality, so I think this would hugely benefit you as it comes all from my own personal experience. Especially try to visualise yourself dancing how you want to be, with no fear or panic. If you put this into practice then you will be surprised how it will help you. When you take control of how you feel inside, you will gradually see your mind at ease and you'll be able to dance the best you can.

Keep in touch, it's great to hear how you progress.

Best wishes,
Odette