new york city ballet | jetejerrett

The Importance of the Supernodes in the Ballet Industry

Posted on November 16, 2014 by jerrettervin

As dancers our talent is a big part of what can make or break us in the industry. Although this is true we also have to consider sometimes it is just as important to value what you know as well as who you know. Developing supernodes is a substantial aspect in keeping ballet alive to assure that we are exposed to the most valuable performers and also to make sure we have an audience to keep watching so that we can keep the art of ballet very active and relevent.

This page in particular I keep a connection through other blogs such as The Ballet Bag or my Tumblr peer Regan who runs The Dance Blog. My connection with these to blogs allows others who haven’t seen my blog before to maybe give a chance because of the credibility of the other two blogs that are linking me and sharing my posts. This is a great example of the importance of Supernodes because just like other blogs can bring exposure to my own personal thoughts and writing, staying in touch with dancers or teachers that have a voice in the very small ballet world could be your ticket into a company.

The biggest thing for dancers is to remember, your competition could be your opportunity into your next company job so you have to make positive connections in your attitude and technique all the time. Every time you are in class you have to dance like you are performing for your way into American Ballet Theatre because truth be told you never know who is watching and wha opportunities it can lead to. Following the footsteps of other ballet bloggers in my community as aided me because now my voice can be heard, so if you follow the footsteps and grab the attention of other dancers and instructors you can build a network which makes starting a professional career a little bit easier.

Below is a video of the apprentices of New York City Ballet and their journey of trying to make it as a professional dancer,

It’s a good example to remember to stay on your toes and that you have to always consistently dance your best because you never know what network is watching!

Remember dancers,

Keep Calm and dance on!

Are Ballet Dancer’s Artists or Atheletes?

Posted on October 18, 2014 by jerrettervin

As dancers we all know the blood, sweat, and tears that it takes to make it in the professional ballet world. As a professional dancer, most train five to six days a week a minimum of 4 to 6 hours of rehearsals after class, so we definitely put our bodies through a lot to make sure look amazing on stage. With this being said this poses a popular question, are dancers artists or athletes? I think Dance Consortium said it best in their article talking about dancers as athletes. Dance Consortium first defines what an athlete is and then compares how the life of a dancer fits around that definition. Dance Consortium uses the ideas of stamina used through performances, the injuries that are endured as a dancer, and the physicality that it takes to make it through the week as a professional all as an example to why dancers are not just artists, but they are athletes as well.

“Dancers are the athletes of God.” – Albert Einstein

Being involved in dance and sports both in my past, the athleticism that you face are both parallel; the only difference is that you don’t have to look pretty playing basketball.Dance is such a commitment to your body because you have to train your technique consistently and constantly remind your body the do’s and don’t’s in class, so that on stage it looks effortless. Dancers consistently fight through a lot of the strain and injuries that are also faced by football players because when you continuously train and work your body rigorously overuse and long term injuries become a problem. The New York City Ballet describes the injuries that they face as professional dancers, and just like any other athlete one major injury can really put your career on the line. Dancers are now more than ever rehabilitating themselves as athletes by going to physical therapy regularly and strengthening themselves using outlets such as Pilates or yoga. Although dancers meet some of the same demands of an athletes I think I can hardly call it a sport because it is so much more that. The heart, soul, and passion that goes behind the performance to tell a story as dancer is what takes more than athleticism, but also artistry to convey. There is no way that a ballerina can portray both the roles of Odile and Odette of Swan Lake without the passion and emotion that comes behind both the characters. Ballet is definitely not as easy as it looks, but the athletic and artistic values that requires are what makes it such a beauty to watch. Below I will leave you with Soloist Jilian Vanstone of the Canada National Ballet talking about her life as a ballet dancer and what it means to her.

As always dancers,

Keep calm dance on!

Jilian Vanstone – A Day in the life of a Ballerina