I’ve been a ballerina for fourteen years, and I got my first pair of pointe shoes eight years ago. To be quite honest, the longest I’ve gone without rehearsal would have to be five weeks at most— and that was when I sprained my ankle. As a student dancer, I’ve learned to balance my time in order to focus on my ballet career.
Oftentimes, I get home quite late at night from afternoon rehearsal and get work done right away. Ballet has kept me away from procrastination that seems to plague many of my peers. I would assume that it’s because I’ve always been on the go, going from one place to the next, and I’ve needed to find any moment of vacant time in my schedule to get work done.
Being stuck at home away from my ballet studio has really changed my work habits. With all the extra time on my hands, I feel myself losing the momentum that keeps me productive throughout the day. I tell myself that back in the old days, when there was no COVID-19, I could get all my work done in a little under a couple hours. I keep telling myself that over and over again, until at some point I look up from my phone and it’s already one in the morning.
To me, ballet is a lot more than just creative expression. It’s my entire schedule. Being a ballerina is what keeps me functioning, in and out of the studio. Without something keeping my life in check, I fall into bad habits, just like any other student. Now that I have all this extra time on my hands, I’ve been struggling to adjust from my regular bustling ballerina lifestyle.
I can’t wait to get back into the studio— these last few months have felt like eternity. I have so much extra time on my hands; one day can feel like a whole week.
—Lisa
Written by: Alina Fowler