Career Development Plan - How to become the Professional Ballet Dancer?

by kitty spicer
(england, london!)

Career Development Plan - How to become the Professional Ballet Dancer?

i love ballet i train every day a lot and i have been doing it for about 4 weeks, but i am no more flexible and i have long legs ok turn out i am not flexible and i don't have the body of a ballet dancer.

i would love to be a pro dancer but i don't know how to get there and how to get there i am 12 years old. do i have to go on a special diet or train more?

i would love to be a dancer i am about to go on pointe.

my biggest dream is going to the royal ballet school and i know it is practically impossible but i would love to keep dreaming but there are so many hurdles to jump over and the standard is getting much better.

what would you do if you were in my situation do i have a chance or should i pick ballet as a hobby not a career? i am on grade 5 ballet and grade 4 modern.

i think i have no chance my mum says ballet dancers might have to go on a diet and my dad says they have to eat as many calories as they want who is right?

do you know and good stretches to build up muscle and become flexible and how to i get the best body type to be in the royal ballet school. How did you get the standard of a ballet dancer? How long should I train a week.

Am I to old to start ballet and be a pro? I have been doing it for 4 months and I have good turn out but not perfect and I am not really flexible as I have mentioned!

Please help
From Kitty.

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Reply by Odette
To:- Career Development Plan - How to become the Professional Ballet Dancer?

Hello Kitty,
Thank you for contacting. Wow, you certainly do have a lot of questions and I love that I am hopefully able to help guide you, or at least clear your mind a little.

Firstly I have to tell you, nothing can be rushed as a ballet dancer. No matter what stage you are at or how old you are, everything takes time and practice to improve in ballet so you absolutely have to be patient to see the progress.

Not all ballet dancers have a special diet and in fact many of them eat normally. The focus is on eating nutritious food to fuel your body and give you enough energy for what the training in ballet demands. When I was your age, I ate a very normal diet and did not think too much about what I was eating. I always loved lots of fruits and vegetables. I think in ballet, your eating habits adjust to support the demands of the physical action. You always need a lot of energy and must look after your body sensibly.

It is hard for me to say whether you should choose ballet or not, because for many young dancers ballet chooses them. For example, my teacher was closely associated to a vocational ballet school so through her I was able to see the possibility of me training to become a professional.

Mainly, you need to ask yourself, do your family support your dream too? Do you love ballet enough to train seriously everyday? Are there other schools you could train at?

It would be good for you to have the support of others around you, like your parents or ballet teacher, to help you see more clearly on what could be possible for you.

You are not too old to become a professional, however it highly depends on the training you have now and for the next few years.

Take another look through my website and at the personal development plan, which will give you more of an idea into how to become a professional.

Best wishes,
Odette