“Do I love ballet? No. I’m constantly at war with it. I’ll never be good enough and I’ll always make mistakes, but you know, it’s worth it. It’s the only way I know how to live, the only way I can. Dance is my life. Take it away from me and I’m nothing. So no, I don’t love ballet; I am alive because of it. Ballet is how I live.” (Brittany Seaborg, a fifteen year old ballerina). This quote portrays just how much conflict is present in a ballerina’s relationship with ballet. Ballet is ,without a doubt, very beneficial for your body and soul; yet what many people don’t know, is that it puts so much physical and mental strain on your body and mind. So, would you say that ballet is harmful, or beneficial? Ballet is a dance involving elegant movements …show more content…
Ballet also helps relieve stress, as it serves as a distraction from the outside world and allows dancers to focus completely on their movement. It also allows dancers to express themselves in their own, unique ways. “Personal creative expression can be highly-therapeutic, promoting mental and emotional health.” (irvine.dancelova) Ballet has taught students since they were younger numerous life lessons, and has ingrained in them a sense of responsibility. Ballet dancers are known for how disciplined they are. Even those who have been doing ballet for almost all of their lives, believe that there is always room for improvement, which shows determination, and modesty. It also helps them accept constructive criticism, since it’s something that most of them deal with almost every day due to most ballet instructors being severely harsh. This encourages ballet dancers to develop thicker …show more content…
Misty copeland was rejected when she applied to a ballet school, which sent her a letter saying “You lack the right feet, Achilles tendons, turnout, torso length, and bust. You have the wrong body for ballet, and at 13, you are too old to be considered.” Copeland had an introductory ballet class and, three months later, was known as a dance prodigy. “At 24, Misty Copeland became only the second black soloist in the history of the American Ballet Theatre, the most prestigious company in North America.”