Though professional ballerinas make the dance look effortless, there is a great deal of physical and psychological stamina behind the glamour of ballet. Not to mention the countless hours of practice to perfect form and match the gracefulness of top talent. Lastly, we will briefly detail the cost of training to become a phenomenal ballet dancer. Once you’ve considered all the factors, you’ll need to decide: do you have what it takes to be a ballet dancer?
1. Attain Top Physical Shape
The facade of weightlessness hides the reality of hours of strength training just as the pointe shoes hide the bruised feet of dancers. To excel as a ballet dancer, one must be coordinated, have exemplary balance, and have the stamina to dance full time. As with any professional athlete, blisters and ankle wraps become old friends to ballerinas. To stay in peak shape, athletes should maintain a balanced diet. It must also be said, to be a ballerina, one must develop some tolerance to pain.
2. Develop Psychological Stamina
Dancers that develop strength, stamina, and determination, are the ones that will make it professionally. To be the best dancer you can be, you must be able to hear criticism and practice for long hours. There are few positions open to professional ballerinas and the competition is fierce.
Ballet dancers must be able to continue in in the face of rejection and discouragement with emotional fortitude. Dancers must draw deep from their reserves of passion and never lose hope. Only those that commit to their dreams in the face of insurmountable odds make it onto the national stage.
3. The Time Commitment
Like many sports, a career in ballet will take nearly a significant amount of time and commitment to excel. For most dancers, it will take eight to ten years to get to the professional level.
The best age to start training is usually between seven to ten, though dancers can begin at other ages if they commit themselves to training and discipline. Starting at a younger age enables young athletes to become more flexible and their bodies to grow into and with their dance skills. At this age, students will attend classes once or twice a week. However, by the time dancers are 15, training will increase significantly to ten to fifteen hours of training a week.
Central Utah Ballet Academy’s pre-professional ballet trainee programs include 14-18 hours of classical ballet & supplementary training each week.
4. It’s A Financial Commitment
Because the intricacies of classical ballet are only taught by specific ballet studios, ballet is one of the more expensive dance forms to learn. The technical skills can only be learned and attained through formal and frequent training. On top of the tuition for training, be prepared to buy the specific shoes, uniforms, and performance attire.
In The End
The journey to becoming a ballet dancer is challenging, tiring, and, at times, formidable. However, the pride of mastering such a complex art form is indescribable. The focus, grace, and confidence instilled in dancers will be with them over a lifetime. When you fall in love with such an exquisite dance, you’ll certainly agree that in the end, it is worth the all the effort you can afford.