Teaser Tuesday

I know, I haven’t been keeping up with the memes. But today is Tuesday and I’m reading and I came across a cute quote that is not only true, but one I relate to.

“ The therapists are available three hours before each performance. they’re needed because every dancer is always in some kind of pain: a torn calf muscle, a back in spasm, a recovering foot fracture, an arthritic hip. We all dance injured, and we all operate on the assumption that if we can walk, we can dance.” (page 21, The Sugarless Plum)

I guess this is funny to me, but it might not be to other people. Without going off on a rabbit trail, let’s just say that I’ve been there. I’ve danced with barf buckets on either side of the stage (just in case), knee tape on the knee and extra tights to hide it, makeup on the arms covering bruises, pulled hip flexors (do you know how hard it is to turn out when your hip flexor is strained?) and dancing en pointe without toe pads (yes I have bled through pointe shoes before.). My motto: “If it doesn’t hurt, work harder. If it hurts, work harder more often.” I’ve been nearly dropped while partnering. I’ve danced outside in the FREEZING cold on a slippery floor. I’ve put girls up on my shoulders and held them there for fifteen minutes while we rehearsed the same part OVER AND OVER AND OVER…

Anyway. Keep on dancing.

~Haleyknitz