For anyone who doesn’t already know, I’d just like to take the time to say this right now: Ballet is hard.  Like, really hard.  And I don’t mean deciding between Froyo World and Orange Leaf hard, I mean sweating through multiple layers, bloody toepads, and collapsing on the couch immediately upon returning home every day hard.  But just when you thought the challenges were purely physical, you find yourself battling those dreadful little shadows of depression creeping into your brain.  Ballet is based on the pursuit of technical and artistic perfection, two things that are actually impossible.  Yet we work tirelessly day in and day out to achieve these unattainable goals, consequently setting ourselves up for failure.  No wonder we can so easily become depressed…

When you are injured, this pursuit of perfection does not cease- at least not mentally.  Physically, you are handicapped, but mentally you continue the fight.  Your life becomes a constant internal self-interrogation…what could I have done differently to prevent this?  How do I heal?  Which rehearsals am I missing?  Will I be better in time to perform?  It goes on and on.  With your mind racing a mile a minute but your body stuck in a rut, frustration is almost expected.  But it shouldn’t be mandatory, should it?  So how do you stamp out those mind-dwelling flames of self doubt and worry?  Everyone has a different method.  For me, there is nothing like getting out in the sun for at least 10 minutes, talking to my mom, having a bite (or 5) of a giant oatmeal raisin cookie, and dropping by the studio to see my friends.  And when all that fails, fresh flowers, wine, a trip to the RedBox and a night in with my boyfriend is always a winning combination!  It’s all about the healing powers, people!  Send me your good vibes!