Why We Dance
By Laura Leigh Birdwell, N2Arts Correspondent
For the Love of Ballet
 

don’t think anyone realizes the strength, skill, and talent of a ballerina (that is, unless one has been there herself). Ballet dancing is not simply waving one’s arms around to the sound of music. It is not interpretive-dancing nor is it merely jumping around in a tutu. Ballet dancing involves perfection and elegance of the highest degree. To perform the dance is not enough. Rather, she must perform with pointed feet, straightened legs, arched back, uplifted chest, a “tucked-in” tummy, and softly moving arms, all maintained under the poise of a swan, graceful and, beautiful in the eyes of the audience. It is a talent that takes years to perfect and a skill that once maintained, is loved by all who perform. 

But the realities of dancing are not easily disregarded. Endless hours of practicing the same moves until they are memorized and immaculate constitute the ballerina’s schedule. Shaking and tired muscles, sore buttocks, bleeding toes and blistered feet make walking quite difficult and awkward when she leaves the studio. Yet no one would ever know, except the ballerina herself and perhaps those who see her afterwards. The audience does not know the practice nor do they see the physical pain - after all, neither of these are part of the dance.

So why - why does she subject herself to these physical pains and the mental stresses of perfection? For one reason and one reason only: a passion for the art of ballet. And so, on performance day, whatever skin remains on her bloody toes is bandaged, the sore muscles are creamed, and tired eyes are concealed with the stroke of a make-up brush, all in preparation for her performance on stage.

The moment the music begins, it’s as though a certain mood, a certain persona, arises within the ballerina. She submits herself to the power of the music. The pain, the worries, and the stress are left somewhere behind the set, in the dressing room. The stage transforms into a fairy tale and she escapes into a world where love conquers all evil.

Though she may not realize it, she is the beauty of the piece - elegance shining through the movement of her body to the harmony of the music. The melody is inside of her. She is an instrument for the composer, portraying the emotions he sought to convey. She does it beautifully, but at the same time, she uses the composer, the piece, and the music as an instrument for her own self-expression.

From the audience, the ballerinas seem like angels floating in the sky, untouched by the harsh everyday life. While performing and dancing in their own whimsical worlds, they bring the audience with them - on a journey to these Shakespearean-like fantasy lands, transforming the entire world and its realities into a sublime and beautiful dream.