Hello!!
So as my summer break draws to an end I have that Sunday feeling of having to sort my whole life out in 24 hours. I try to mentally and physically prepare myself to go back to the studio.... and see myself in a leotard after some time off *cringes*. There's a strong possibility I might have a breakdown day one... partially kidding... when I realise I've forgotten how to do even a plie... but I love being back to doing what I love everyday and back in a routine schedule.
During my time off I like to take a break from ballet for the most part and feel that I come back a better dancer by doing this. I do however like to keep fit and active during my holiday so that I can stay in shape. I use this time to try activities I don't always have time for in season and things I can do just for fun with no pressure to be perfect at them. A week or two weeks before the starting date I tend to go into the studio on my own and prance around a little to get back into the swing of things so it's not a total reality shock to my muscles going into full days again. However, don't get me wrong... I still can't walk properly after the first day back!! (Literally stairs... are a BIG struggle!)
I pack my bag the day before with things I will need at the studio... I always take spare dance wear to leave in the dressing room just in case I go crazy in class one day and sweat enough to need to change before rehearsal (apologies for those I ruined the illusion of ballerinas being all glamorous and glitter for). I leave spare shoes to rotate between and some form of warm up dance wear for when I'm not needed in rehearsals. Rotating shoes helps them to last longer and (sorry another spoiler...) not smell as bad.
I prepare snacks, usually a bag of nuts and I take a piece of fruit daily. I don't usually eat too much in the dancing day as I don't like dancing on a full stomach so I wait until after rehearsals to stuff my face (just in case the illusion of us being elegant was also still in tact.) I drink A LOT of water all the time, unless I'm at a bar drinking cocktails (yes ballerinas drink... well at least I do)! But other than that I prefer drinking water so you'll never catch me without at least one water bottle in my bag. In season my meal prepping and food are more planned and I watch a little more carefully what I eat... I give myself a balance of everything but in moderated portions. I find eating good and planned meals makes me a healthier and more energetic dancer, food is the body's fuel so you have to listen to what your body needs to perform at your best.
So today, I suddenly realise I should have put a new soft ballet shoe (these are flat ballet shoes as opposed to the pointe shoes we use to go on our toes) order in many weeks ago so it would be here in time to start back... but clearly I am just going to have to dance with a hole in my shoe a few days and take out a mortgage to pay for the $8 express delivery *considers starting a go fund me page for ballet shoes*.
Luckily I do have some new pointe shoes in my drawer (the ones we go on our toes in)... I always like to keep at least one brand new pair ready throughout the season because these shoes can be unpredictable and die on you at any time... *considers going off on a tangent about pointe shoe horror stories*. So I ensure I have sewn ribbons and elastics onto my shoes so they are good to go (for the record sewing with acrylic nails on is not an easy task.)
I do get excited before going back to the company... not quite a child on Christmas Eve excited more.. child before first day at a new school excited. I love having a routine in my life and my class and rehearsal schedule gives me this, I get excited about the ballet's we are performing and then there is the slight nervous anticipation of casting and the new members entering the company. I'm a big planner in life and I love a good to do list... I mainly fill it full of things I've already done so I can just tick them off and make myself feel accomplished. So when we receive a calender of company performances, events and vacations in the first few days so I update my diary and plan other parts of my life around this schedule.
I do try and stretch daily whether at the studio or at home or in the stretch classes I teach. I'm a very active teacher I like to do a lot of the class alongside my clients so they have a visual aid and also I find it helps motivate them to keep going. My muscles do still get extremely sore but I like to hope that the stretching helps ease the pain and prevent it from being worse (sometimes I really wonder if it can get worse.)
So wish me luck for starting back this season... after reading this I'm sure you could agree that I might need it!
I look forward to sharing more with you about life as a dancer and my fitness programs!
Rebecca x
So as my summer break draws to an end I have that Sunday feeling of having to sort my whole life out in 24 hours. I try to mentally and physically prepare myself to go back to the studio.... and see myself in a leotard after some time off *cringes*. There's a strong possibility I might have a breakdown day one... partially kidding... when I realise I've forgotten how to do even a plie... but I love being back to doing what I love everyday and back in a routine schedule.
The first day back is probably the earliest I get to the studio the whole season... partly because I totally forget and overestimate the time it will take me to get ready, partly because I like to test myself later in the season just how long can I stay in bed for until I absolutely have to leave the house and also because I need to get there to claim my barre spot... Fun Fact- dancers are very territorial about their barre spots! My barre spot isn't even that great but its comfortable and I chose it on my first day so now I can't move and dancing any where else just feels odd.
I pack my bag the day before with things I will need at the studio... I always take spare dance wear to leave in the dressing room just in case I go crazy in class one day and sweat enough to need to change before rehearsal (apologies for those I ruined the illusion of ballerinas being all glamorous and glitter for). I leave spare shoes to rotate between and some form of warm up dance wear for when I'm not needed in rehearsals. Rotating shoes helps them to last longer and (sorry another spoiler...) not smell as bad.
I prepare snacks, usually a bag of nuts and I take a piece of fruit daily. I don't usually eat too much in the dancing day as I don't like dancing on a full stomach so I wait until after rehearsals to stuff my face (just in case the illusion of us being elegant was also still in tact.) I drink A LOT of water all the time, unless I'm at a bar drinking cocktails (yes ballerinas drink... well at least I do)! But other than that I prefer drinking water so you'll never catch me without at least one water bottle in my bag. In season my meal prepping and food are more planned and I watch a little more carefully what I eat... I give myself a balance of everything but in moderated portions. I find eating good and planned meals makes me a healthier and more energetic dancer, food is the body's fuel so you have to listen to what your body needs to perform at your best.
Luckily I do have some new pointe shoes in my drawer (the ones we go on our toes in)... I always like to keep at least one brand new pair ready throughout the season because these shoes can be unpredictable and die on you at any time... *considers going off on a tangent about pointe shoe horror stories*. So I ensure I have sewn ribbons and elastics onto my shoes so they are good to go (for the record sewing with acrylic nails on is not an easy task.)
So wish me luck for starting back this season... after reading this I'm sure you could agree that I might need it!
I look forward to sharing more with you about life as a dancer and my fitness programs!
Rebecca x
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