Tag: being a dancer
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A Dancer Is Not A Person Who Dances
What’s the difference between a person who dances and a dancer? Let’s start with a person who dances. A person who dances: Will socialize with non-dancers. Might have short hair or long hair. Listens to their body’s cues, and stops when something hurts. Will consider nutrition but does not diet. Is a “normal” person. May…
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A Dancer on Vacation?
What is vacation for a dancer? George Balanchine once said that “the time for resting is in the grave.” If death were really that – a permanent, socially acceptable and well-earned rest – that would be very inviting indeed. I once said as much to some gravestones in a cemetery I used to walk through…
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Searching for Good Pain
When I was dancing full time, I sought out what I thought of as good pain. Physically, good pain was pain in the center of a muscle that you wanted to make stronger. It was an achy, tired pain. It was not pain in a joint, or a tendon or ligament, and it was not…
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I See Dance Everywhere
I know there is still a dancer inside me because I see dance everywhere. Even in things that might not look or feel like dance to other people. This winter I have been watching college and NFL football with my husband. When a player gets a touchdown there is often a burst of joy. And…
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When You’re A Dancer
When you’re a dancer the first thing you do upon awakening is a body scan. What is sore? What is tight? How is my energy? What do I need to eat? How should I begin to move today? You may know right away that more stretching and a gentler lead-in than usual will be needed.…
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Introduction to Former Dancer: Keeping the Dancer Inside Alive
The motivation for this blog is to share some reflections on my striving to keep the dancer inside me alive, even though in some ways the dancer I was died after my body stopped dancing. I spent 10 years from ages 6-16 training for a career in professional ballet. Today, about 50 years later, I…