I had hated it from the beginning. The skin tight leotards, the unforgiving stretches and the cold wood floors all made me want to rip apart the headache-inducing bun that sat at the top of my head. I never knew that at the age of five, I could harness so much hatred for something as dainty as ballet class. As the years passed, my dislike for dance only grew. I wanted to be done with all the pain, the torn muscles, the broken toes, the endless amount of blisters, and the countless number of worn out pointe shoes. Last fall, after nearly 10 years, I was ready to be done with all of it and make my goodbye’s to the company quick and short. And then I saw Carmen Suite. Although I had undeniably experienced joyous times during my years at the company, I ignored any and all influences that might have convinced me to stay. The passion for the art that I had …show more content…
That day certainly hadn’t been my best and I could hardly bear my pent-up frustration that had not only been brewing the day, but for many years prior. All 20 of us sat down on the hard, creaky floors, clad only in our leotards and tights, as our teacher inserted an old VHS cassette into an even older, bulky TV. And that’s when she appeared. Her grace, her elegance, her confidence, her charm, and the way she seemed on float on air captured my attention. Svetlana to me was the embodiment of the beauty in ballet. My resentment instantly burst. It was strange. I had seen my teacher point out good technique on the TV with dry-erase markers so many times, yet I had never experienced this type of rejuvenation. The steps were effortless and the technique infallible. And just as Svetlana seemed to float off of the ground, I could feel my heart soar. Carmen opened my eyes and not only revived, but invigorated my passion for this insane “hobby” of mine. It was after that moment that I knew I would cherish it