All dancers know that ballet is the core of dance. When you learn ballet at a young age and are familiar with how it makes your body work, it becomes easier to master other styles of dance such as jazz and hip hop. Growing up, I remember that I used to dread going to ballet because the music was so slow and it was so hard to dance slowly. Another thing that all dancers know who have mastered ballet is that all of ballet is in French, so aside from learning one of the hardest art forms known to man, we are also learning one of the most difficult languages there is to learn. I believe that when I was so young when I learned ballet it was easier for me to pick up the language. Years later, the terms and expressions are still so familiar with me. Growing up watching the classical ballets of The Nutcracker, Swan Lake, Romeo and Juliette and many others has always inspired me to become a ballerina. Growing up in Syracuse and taking dance here, there weren't the best opportunities for me to become the next prima ballerina. That didn't stop me from being at the barre the whole time training and working my hardest on my technique. Any of this information sound familiar? Are you a former ballerina as well? You'll totally relate to these things I'm about to list off. You know you're a ballerina when...

1. Your feet are always turned out

No matter the shoes you're wearing, that turnout you worked ever so hard on will make an appearance at least once a day.

2. Everything in your body pops, cracks and makes very unsettling sounds.

Arthritis is a common thing at 22, right? Doesn't matter where you are, at practice, Panera, or in the middle of a test, if your joints need popping, you pop them asap.

3. Mentally, whenever a song comes on, you're choreographing a dance to it in your head

I do this all the time and whenever I hear a new song that I feel like could be used for a great routine, I start preparing a dance for it in my head. Its a condition.

4. You'll swear you'll do your stretches "later"

LOL. Good one. Later never seems to be a time on the clock.

5. You've heard "I did that when I was four! I was so good." and "Oh, like Black Swan!" about a thousand times.

Yeah, that's cute. Thank goodness you didn't stick with it...

6. You don't need make up tutorials to know how to do the perfect contour.

Contouring has been a cake walk ever since you knew how to put your hair into a "sock bun" before it was even popular.

7. New pointe shoes are both a blessing and a curse

New pointe shoes are your fave because they're so pretty and have so much to offer. Then you try to break them in and all of that nice stuff goes out the window.

8. You always have one side of your body that's better at dance than the other

My right splits are better, or my left turns are better...don't think its weird because its so true with all dancers.

9. Watching yourself dance on video is a horribly terrifying experience

Yeah you nailed the recital and looked amazing in your costume and of course your make up is flawless but rewatching it later on makes you cringe.

10. You could perform the entire Nutcracker from memory

As soon as The Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies plays, you know what's about to go down. You better get into position and fast.

11. Days after your performance you're still pulling bobby pins out of your hair.

Even though you thought that third bottle of conditioner really got the last ones out that last time around..

12. You wouldn't change anything about growing up doing ballet

Your passe still looks en pointe. Ha. Get it.