Human or Dancer ?
It has always been fundamental to me that I portray myself as a person first, and refer to dancing as something I do, rather than something I am.
As we distinguish so much with social media and especially now get to know people more through this context it seems we are losing touch with whom we really are. We sell ourselves with how we want other people to perceive us. We rarely are humans on social media:- we are dancers, photographers, chefs, or salesmen etc... and when we meet in real life with those dancers, photographers, chefs and salesmen we are met with such a jaded and biased view.
Sometimes I would have the yearning to not be, or think like a ballerina on work days. I would feel the need of wearing normal clothes in ballet class, wear my hair down as long as I could bear and drink coffee from a mug in between barre exercises. Naturally, I would feel my movements become more humanistic. Have you ever realised how your body, and its language change its somatic mood from wearing different clothes?
It's also been vital for me to associate myself with people outside of the ballet world. I like to spend most of my down time socialising with people whom I can relate to on a whole new level. I am inspired by people who can challenge my ideas and bring something totally different to the table. Spending too much time with people who have been similarly educated, or on a similar path sometimes has its limits. After all, the ballet career is so short that stepping out to a world without it and everything it brings, can seem so daunting, so it feels right for me to start preparing whilst I'm still in it.
For that reason of being in quarantine, we've all had to face ourselves, most of us without our job. It's been difficult at times to have little distractions or stimulus away from my own thoughts and responsibilities. But I can say, most of the time I've so enjoyed being a human being without obligations of getting myself in the studio every morning or preparing all week for shows at the weekend. My stress levels have decreased, my small aches and pains from ballet have dissolved and I've found myself appreciating the world in a whole new way and listening to what I want.
An entry from my diary on the 1st of May reads:
That's not to say I've not caught myself doing relevés as I brush my teeth or practising a pirouette or two whilst waiting for my pasta to cook. My ballet instincts creep up on me without even realising it and will remain at the core of what I do. But motivating myself to keep fit has been far easier when I've listened to what my body really needs. This time has made me much more self-aware.
You might be wondering why I've chosen a cat to be the main theme and picture of my blog and why not something more fitting to my subject? Honestly, there was something that drew me to that cat, it looked like it was already listening to me. There's actually no real reason, or anything metaphoric, it's just a picture of a cute cat. Exactly how it looks is what it is, and likewise, I am just a girl reporting on a Sunday morning from my sofa, with the intention to be as true to myself and to my readers as I possibly can.
- Have a happy Sunday folks. x
As we distinguish so much with social media and especially now get to know people more through this context it seems we are losing touch with whom we really are. We sell ourselves with how we want other people to perceive us. We rarely are humans on social media:- we are dancers, photographers, chefs, or salesmen etc... and when we meet in real life with those dancers, photographers, chefs and salesmen we are met with such a jaded and biased view.
Sometimes I would have the yearning to not be, or think like a ballerina on work days. I would feel the need of wearing normal clothes in ballet class, wear my hair down as long as I could bear and drink coffee from a mug in between barre exercises. Naturally, I would feel my movements become more humanistic. Have you ever realised how your body, and its language change its somatic mood from wearing different clothes?
It's also been vital for me to associate myself with people outside of the ballet world. I like to spend most of my down time socialising with people whom I can relate to on a whole new level. I am inspired by people who can challenge my ideas and bring something totally different to the table. Spending too much time with people who have been similarly educated, or on a similar path sometimes has its limits. After all, the ballet career is so short that stepping out to a world without it and everything it brings, can seem so daunting, so it feels right for me to start preparing whilst I'm still in it.
For that reason of being in quarantine, we've all had to face ourselves, most of us without our job. It's been difficult at times to have little distractions or stimulus away from my own thoughts and responsibilities. But I can say, most of the time I've so enjoyed being a human being without obligations of getting myself in the studio every morning or preparing all week for shows at the weekend. My stress levels have decreased, my small aches and pains from ballet have dissolved and I've found myself appreciating the world in a whole new way and listening to what I want.
An entry from my diary on the 1st of May reads:
Do I have something to say? - Write. Do I need to burn off some energy? - Run. Do I not feel beautiful? - Take care. Do I feel lonely? - call a friend.How often do you ask yourself what you need?
That's not to say I've not caught myself doing relevés as I brush my teeth or practising a pirouette or two whilst waiting for my pasta to cook. My ballet instincts creep up on me without even realising it and will remain at the core of what I do. But motivating myself to keep fit has been far easier when I've listened to what my body really needs. This time has made me much more self-aware.
You might be wondering why I've chosen a cat to be the main theme and picture of my blog and why not something more fitting to my subject? Honestly, there was something that drew me to that cat, it looked like it was already listening to me. There's actually no real reason, or anything metaphoric, it's just a picture of a cute cat. Exactly how it looks is what it is, and likewise, I am just a girl reporting on a Sunday morning from my sofa, with the intention to be as true to myself and to my readers as I possibly can.
- Have a happy Sunday folks. x
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