Things To Be Thankful For...

 

Thanksgiving is my absolutely favorite holiday. A uniquely American tradition, it is all about family and friends and, of course, food. No gifts nor extravagance, just people. It’s also about reflection on all those things we should be thankful for instead of just taking them for granted. This set me thinking on my career and those who quietly made it happen for me without ever asking for, nor getting, a word of thanks.  So, with pen in hand, I started listing my unsung heroes.

1.      Parents top the list. Yes, I thanked them many times for the obvious things but never for the less apparent like the hours spent waiting for me and not complaining about it, the driving hither and yon and the funds poured into dance equipment. When I think back on it, it seems the family’s entire schedule gravitated around mine yet I never heard a word of complaint from my brother. So here’s to siblings too!

2.      Dance teachers must come next. Once again, it’s not about the obvious but rather those small things which had a huge impact on the artist and person I became. The well timed word of encouragement, the fact they always managed to be there for me and, yes, disciplined me without fear when they knew I needed it, their personal appearance and demeanor which was never short of completely professional. They too taught me values which would stand me in good stead for the years to come.   

3.      School teachers. There’s no doubt dancers in training lead a hectic and often misunderstood life. Like athletes, we are not the norm. Our schedules do not permit the after school activity of a normal  teenager so we are not usually among the “in” crowd. I was very lucky to have teachers who took an interest in me because I was different and who respected my ambitions. The fact that they let me know they cared made all the difference in the world: cutting a little slack here, a kind word there, trusting me to make up work I had missed and recommending books of particular interest to me. Little things that meant a lot.

4.       The dance store definitely belongs here, though I never gave them a second thought at the time. Like most people, I would shop in the same store all the time. Especially when it came to pointe shoes, they knew what I needed and always had it on hand. Did I ever question how? For that matter, I never questioned why they knew so much about my professional progress nor the fact they showed up whenever I was dancing in town. This was more than just smart business. The store was part of a support group I didn’t even know I had.

5.      My competitors. Professional dance was and will always be highly competitive. That competition for advancement is not always clean nor nice. Knowing how to deal with it only comes after having been knocked about a few times. So thanks too to those who made my life momentarily miserable but who, in the end, taught me how to handle adversity. Yes, I am grateful to you too.

It doesn’t matter how old you are, there are at least five people who are quietly making a difference in your dancing life. They ask nothing in return. So give them a mental cheer as you sit down to the annual feast. Like the saying goes, “It takes a village………….”

Happy Thanksgiving!