An Evening With Anne Polajenko: "To Quit of Not to Quit?"

TO QUIT OR NOT TO QUIT?

Recently, a student asked me if, at any time during my dancing days, I was ever tempted to just throw in the towel and quit. Since my students know how committed I am to what I do, I guess my answer shocked them. I laughed.

“Sure,” I chuckled, “several times.”  The truth is every professional dancer goes through periods of self-doubt, disappointment or just sheer mental and physical exhaustion. The temptation to quit can be quite overpowering at times, especially when the grass looks so much greener on the other side! Imagine a life with a schedule like “normal” people, week-ends to sleep in, holidays like everyone else, no dieting, no daily class, no shin splints, no grinding discipline and, above all, no Pointe shoe sewing. Heaven!

Well, almost.

When you have reached a certain level, dancing is not something you put on and take off like a pretty dress nor is it a hobby you can take or leave at will. It is a commitment, a lifestyle, a vocation. It is in you. When you leave it, after a while you begin to notice that it is still there and shows itself in different ways. Your body misses the daily class you so hated, your soul misses the camaraderie of fellow dancers, your brain begins replaying choreography you loved to dance. Life may be easier in some ways but less stimulating in others. Now you find yourself wishing you had thought your decision through a little better.

Quitting before your time takes some serious thought whether you are professional or a student. It should not be an impulsive decision because it is almost impossible to come back. Seeking advice is always a good idea but beware of (not so) well-meaning colleagues or even directors. In my case, I turned to family members who could give me a more objective perspective.

It is perfectly OK to question why you are dancing. If nothing else, it makes us re-assess our progress, our ability to balance demanding schedules with everyday life and our overall commitment to what we do. 

           ----Anne Polajenko

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Hope you are all having a great week, 

                        Love from your humble blogger,

If your friends jumped off a bridge, would you?

   As this week begins I encourage you to undertake making good decisions for your life and the life of those around you. Many of us have heard the saying "if your friends jumped off a bridge, would you jump as well?", from our parents or teachers or even sometimes a dear friend who is trying to teach us and encourage us.
   The sad part of it all is that sometimes we do jump with our friends, while ignoring all the consequences of our actions to the surrounding people around us as well. Here is what is meant by this, people follow people, this is a simple rule of life, so when someone of a 'pack' decided to not do what the pack is about to do then someone else will follow you by example.
    Sometimes it takes one person doing the sane thing for some of the people around him to wake up and realize what they have been doing and that following the pack is going to end up being a bad thing.
    My encouragement is that you not only be the person to says "No, I won't jump" but also be the person that sets the example, the person that shows the world that there is another way, that one can say no, and thus give encouragement to those around you.
    Be this by being kind to someone who no one is kind to, to showing love in random but significant ways, all these things make an impact. And even though sometimes you might feel like no one is around and no one notices, this is not the case, someone always notices, you are not alone.
    We as humans all share this feeling of loneliness, this feeling of always being by ourselves, of not being appreciated enough. We all have social issues, we all have fears, so remember, you are not alone. Plenty have stood up to the pack and said "ENOUGH!"
     So as you walk through this week take the time to live in love, to yourself, to those around you, and stand up to the pack. It has been done before, and it will happen again. This is your time. So grab a hold of it and walk a better road.

    Love from your humble blogger,

It's Friday!

Cup by Tanami-M

      Oh it's Friday.
  Friday's can be a day of rejoicing for those of us that have mon - fri jobs, or those that are in school. The weekend is something we look forward to and are sad when it leaves. No matter what happens on Friday we always have the comforting feeling that Saturday is right around the corner and that keeps us going with a smile.
      Oh it's Friday.
   The part about Friday that I wanted to focus on tonight is the waking up part, I think this is one of the most important parts of the day. The routine you always do during the week, with the longing for it to be evening already. That delicious cup of coffee, or that class of milk, what kind of music you play, how hot the water in the shower is, these are all simple facts that can make a normal day a great one.
     I hope you all have a fantastic Friday and an amazing weekend. And that your Friday morning was a good one ^_^

      Love from your humble blogger,

An evening with Anne Polajenko: "Pointe 101"

5 things a Pointe shoe should do:

1. Correspond to the general structure of the foot. A square foot will not fit into a pointed shoe!
2. Assist the dancer establish her central balance on pointe
3. Allow the roll through on demi-pointe without too much resistance. This will get easier as the shoe gets softer.
4. Provide correct arch support
5. Create a long, sleek look

5 things a Pointe shoe should not do:
1. Prevent the dancer from standing full up on the shoe
2. Allow high arches to roll right over the box
3. Hinder the dancer from rolling up/down through the demi-pointe
4. Cause undue pain across the toes, on the bunion
5. Twist on the foot or crease at the little toe when first tried on
          --- Anne Polajenko

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

       Hope you all are having a great week so far :)

   Love from your humble blogger,

A Random Monday Comic ^_^

      Keep a look out for more Random Monday Comic entries!
    The idea is to give you something to laugh at, even if it's just a giggle, as you arrive at monday :) just some love really.


-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

   Hope you all had a fantastic weekend and that this week will be a fantastic one,

     Love from your humble blogger,

Nature Breaks

 

      There is something to be said about nature. In it's purest form, nature can be uplifting and inspiring. From a beautiful morning sky to that big tree on your lawn during fall, there are many sights that nature provides us with that aid us in the process of taking a break from our busy day and just taking a "nature break".
       Nature breaks are so abundant to us that we somehow miss the opportunity of appreciating them more times then we would like to admit. Yet the beauty of it is that nature will never go away, never leave you, and there will always be a beauty within nature no matter what time of the day it is.
       We all live such busy lives and sometimes never get a break from the day, so here is an easy way to take a 2 min break to recop some energy. Stand by a sunny area and just look up at the sky, squint your eyes toward the sun and feel it's rays feeding you with vitamins, take just a minute to enjoy what is always around you, and then return to your normal routine.
       It's always nice to know that there is something in life that will always be the same, "nature breaks" is one of those things. No one will ever take that away from you. It's a gift from Earth to you. So take the time to enjoy it from time to time.

         hope you all have a fantastic weekend,

   Love from your humble blogger,

An evening with Anne Polajenko: Humor at the ballet

Humor at the ballet:

In 1845, an enterprising, English, theatrical agent had the temerity to invite the four leading ballerinas of the day to perform in one ballet together. They were Maria Taglioni (the undisputed queen), the Italian ballerinas Fanny Cerrito and Carlotta Grisi, and the Danish dancer Lucille Grahn. The ballet was "Pas de Quatre" (Dance for Four) to be performed in London.
Benjamin Lumley soon had reason to regret his invitation as all these ladies were very difficult women, stars in their own right, who would not take second place to anyone. Arguments arose over who would get  top billing. Taglioni of course would go first, but then? Each lady threatened to walk out unless she be listed next. Finally an exasperated Lumley told them he would list them by order of AGE. He did not hear a single demand from the three ladies again.........
-- Anne Polajenko
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

      Hello everyone, hope you've all been well since last we conversed. The blog will be taking on a new light soon, based on comments we are thinking about switching the days to a mon-wed-fri posting,
      any comments? suggestions? ideas?

        Love from your humble blogger,