Judith Svalander School of Ballet

Our students completed an intense six weeks of study on one of ballets most important poses…Attitude. There are many, many variations on this important pose and additional ways it is used in turning, jumping and balancing. In addition to creating choreography showcasing these many different attitude poses, the students were asked to write an essay on what constitutes the best attitude (mind-set) for a dancer. Their remarks were informative, enjoyable, personal and gave us insight to our students’ feelings for his/her work here. Below are some excerpts from the essays. Check back soon. I will keep posting new ones!

Brooke- Level A “A normal person would think of this as a remark of someone’s behavior, while only a dancer would think of the actual step. Dancers not only have to keep their alignment and mind-set, but also their behavioral attitude while in class.”

Sarah- Level C “…there is always something for a dancer to work on, from technique to expression. To an ordinary person, this may seem like a pointless task, but to a dancer, it is just a challenge, or another way to struggle to be the most excellent dancer you can be.”

Emma- Level V “When you are in class next, remember that if you have a bad attitude, you may end up with bad attitudes.”

Johanna- Level C “Attitude is so much more than just showing up to class and executing steps. The quality of the dancers’ perofmrnace stems from their outlook on the whole dance experience. This will affect other dancers and teachers in either a disheartening or encouraging way. The choice is up to the dancers, and nobody else can decide for them.”

Katie- Level C “Try no matter how successful you are or unsuccessful. Try because you came here to dance and you should always be doing your best, because you live, love and breathe dance.”

Leann- Level A “While being positive and optimistic, a dancer needs to critique themself, but without getting themself down. A dancer needs to be able to see what they are doing wrong, and have a good, positive attitude when they try to fix it.”

Colleen- Level C “Having a bad attitude can effect both you and the class. No one wants to dance in a negative environment. Before you go to dance, tell yourself that you will try your hardest. Also, tell yourself that you will have improved on dancing when you get out of class.”