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[Muse_Of_Fire]

Can, lfm. Just 'cuz. 

Yes, that's why I asked. It is one of my jobs. I am a professional ballet dancer for a medium-sized regional company, and I also am on faculty for their professional school. I've done ballet since I was 4 and I've got quite a bit of training in other forms of dance too: tap, jazz, hip-hop, modern, African, etc... although ballet has always been my biggest area of training and interest. I do some choreography as well, but mostly for area school musicals, etc.

I do it because I can't not do it. I tried once, and it didn't last long. Kind of like my attempts to quit drinking coffee.

And as to which is more awesome: ballet. Hands down.

[littlefallsmets]

I do it because I can't not do it. I tried once, and it didn't last long.

I feel the exact same way about writing.

Except... y'know... I can't seem to figure out how to get paid for it.

I feel like Tom Hanks at the end of Private Ryan and such.

"You get paid for the thing you love. Cherish it."

[pmcd9]

Muse of Fire, the polite thing to do now is provide a link to a vid of you dancing.  Kinda like this.

[KeithHernandez]

Also, I didn't mean I hate ballet a while ago, just being dramatic to try to make a point.

See, I do alot of things that alot of people who know me don't understand.  These things are kind of why I get up in the morning alot of times.  It kind of sucks when alot of people don't know why you tick, or whatever.

Yes, that's why I asked. It is one of my jobs. I am a professional ballet dancer for a medium-sized regional company, and I also am on faculty for their professional school. I've done ballet since I was 4 and I've got quite a bit of training in other forms of dance too: tap, jazz, hip-hop, modern, African, etc... although ballet has always been my biggest area of training and interest. I do some choreography as well, but mostly for area school musicals, etc.

See, I think this is awesome, but I probably wouldn't want to actually go.  And I think that is probably rude to say.  Also, you are super lucky, as LFM pointed out.

[slink]

Hella lucky! Dang.
I can't not write or write music, and I may be getting back into acting doing some Shakespeare again, but I'm not even close to getting paid for anything creative. Well, graphic design, but my hearts just not satisfied by it like performance or creation of art. For now I'll go back to my eggs...
That said,  I should really finish off this letter as application to be a baker at the old fashioned flour mill nearby. I've been considering becoming Adam Real-last-name-unkown for a while now.

[AugustWest]

I'm with cocaine-boy.  Dance just doesn't do it for me.  I mean, I can appreciate the physical strength and agility involved, but as an art form dance leaves me completely unmoved.  It communicates no emotional content to me.  Glad it works for you.

[side_show]

Oh... sorry I said ballerinas are fucked up.  It's a bad genearalization.  All the ones I know are, but I totally recognize that there are ones out there that are sane.  Hopefully you are one of them.  But I like cartoon cats, so who am I to talk?

My buddy worked at the most intensive ballet school in my country, where parents send their kids away to live from age 7 and up to live and study professionally at the school, and I just totally disaprove of parents making career choices for their children when they're 7 or 8.  From this buddy I have heard some of the most horrible stories of mental illness and eating disorder that I have ever, ever heard.  Also, I have two ballerina friends and both have anorexia, which just scares the hell out of me and is really hard to understand. 

Since I'm not much for the artform, even having seen some of the best ballet out there, I just think the level of sacrifice and focus required doesn't match with the end result. 

Than again, people could say basically the same things about my profession to.  It's all about what sparks your passion right?  So a big ditto to what the others said.  I am totally about following your passion.

[slink]

Oh... sorry I said ballerinas are fucked up.  It's a bad genearalization.  All the ones I know are, but I totally recognize that there are ones out there that are sane.  Hopefully you are one of them.  But I like cartoon cats, so who am I to talk?

Hey, you have benefit of doubt since we're discussing a profession where most of its practitioners are basically asking to fuck up their feet, legs and spines, if not with the eating disorders... That said, I've known some who don't, and again,  hopefully you are one of them, Muse.

[Sub_Topical]

I flipped on PBS and watched ballet this morning while feeding a baby just for you New Muse.

I've decided I don't like ballet because I lack the requisite historical, musical and dance literacy to translate it into story and movement that I find entertaining. I also I have no desire to build the vocabulary necessary to do so. It falls into the vast category of Things Beyond My Sphere of Interest.

I have tried and failed at this and so have made my peace with a life devoid of ballet, opera and Adam Sandler.

[littlefallsmets]

I've decided I don't like ballet because I lack the requisite historical, musical and dance literacy to translate it into story and movement that I find entertaining.

Exactly. Exactly.

People tell me the new Battlestar Galactica is awesome, too, but I don't have the inclination to spend the days and days of intensive DVD watching that I would need to catch up. It probably is awesome but the time wherein I could've learned all the things I need to appreciate it is past.

My girlfriend feels the same way about baseball. My brother feels the same way about superhero comics.

Can'd for exacting insight.

[linnea]

I love ballet. It is amazing to watch. Sheer artistry. There are so many facets of the art - costume, choreography, set, storyline, style, presentation...I really need to find some of the great works on Netflix or else figure out when it airs on PBS.

Plus, I don't have the necessary background in literature or history...which is why it's fascinating to read a little bit on Wikipedia or wherever about a ballet or any other production before watching it. It's an enjoyable way to revisit periods of history that I otherwise never would think about!

[Muse_Of_Fire]

Muse of Fire, the polite thing to do now is provide a link to a vid of you dancing.  Kinda like this.

How did you so quickly and easily find a video of me dancing?! I am amazed!


...and clearly joking.

I have no videos, but I do have a couple of photographs... let's see... ah. Here we go: I danced Spanish in our Nutcracker this year , and here I am backstage after warmup and applying makeup; about to put on my cossie. Notice the fine and appropriate shirt. Try not to let the frightening amounts of eyeliner scare you.

Enjoy.

And not to worry about referring to ballerinas as f*cked up. They generally are. Some of my associates would lump me in that category, although the jury is still out.

Also, not to worry about feeling "rude" for not digging it (and saying so), Keith. I'm made of stronger stuff than that.

I do consider myself lucky to be able to do it, although our company is small enough that I do have to have a full-time "normal person job" to pay the bills. Still, I took a very non-traditional route to get there (considering the normal career track for dancers), passing through all sorts of personal f'ed-uppednes, so I consider myself insanely lucky indeed to be able to do it. In any other city or any other company, I wouldn't be able to do it at all.

Oh, just so you all don't think I normally run around with my face painted to scare the lovin right out of a man, here's what I look like normally (well, after France beat Brazil in the World Cup semis, and I'd had a few Stellas, anyhow): Allez, les Bleus!

Linnea, how often do you get to see the ballet? I'm glad you enjoy it.

[littlefallsmets]

Try not to let the frightening amounts of eyeliner scare you.

Only just a little bit. But you will be happy to know that sans make-up, the scary completely dissipates.

The power of a message board icon is, however, that I could not help but subconsciously expect you to look like a girl-version of your message board icon. Even though I knew that was nowhere near the truth, there was still the reflexive expectation.

[Muse_Of_Fire]

Thank you, Mets!

As to the whole message board icon thing, I totally know what you mean. To be quite honest, my icon surprises me every time I look at it. I think, "What? That's not me! Who the heck is that guy?" And then I remember that I chose "Ketel One DJ_Brazil" to represent me here, good man that he is.

[Fooker]

I was forced into ballet lessons as a kid.