As a little girl, I clearly remember dreaming of finding my first pair of pointe shoes under the Christmas tree. Until I received my first pair, I flitted around our house in my mom’s old pair that she kept for a keepsake. They were broken in, well-loved, and seemed to fit me just right, although I…
“When I said, ‘My foot is slipping,’ your love, O Lord, supported me. When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.” Psalm 94:18-19 In ballet, pointe shoes are a dancer’s foundation. If the pointe shoes feel good, right, and are doing their job, the dancer can dance with freedom and…
I get a lot of questions from young, aspiring dancers asking HOW to become a professional ballerina. It’s hard to know where to start with that question. Eeeeek….it’s a BIG question. Not that I am going to attempt to completely answer it in this one post, but if I were talking to myself as an 15 year…
“a time to dance….” Ecclesiastes 3:4 Just over a week and a half ago, I thought I was done dancing professionally. I was trying to convince my heart that I was. I was trying to be okay with it. Some days, I was fine….happy to be free from it….but lots of days, I felt the…
TO THE YOUNG, ASPIRING DANCERS: I know you dream of big stages, lights, and beautiful costumes. I know you dream of leading roles in big companies. I know you get giddy over new leotards and shiny new pointe shoes. I know you love the feeling of flying across the floor during grande allegro. I know you…
“Above all else, guard your heart, for it is the wellspring of life.” Proverbs 4:23 For a ballet dancer, fifth position is like home base. Every other position and every movement stems from this basic position of the feet. Fifth position is a place of strength and a place to gather our coordination, placement, and…