As "The Nutcracker" season draws to a close, you find yourself applauding on the opposite side of the curtain. Performing the role of an audience member, as opposed to Snow Queen, feels strange and uncomfortable. No longer will you tie the ribbons on your pointe shoes or tuck in the strings of your tutu. While the ending of a dance career is heartbreaking, the lessons you learn throughout the experience are unforgettable.

By separating itself from sports due to its artistic quality and distancing itself from art because of a need for athletic ability, ballet is a creative form of movement unlike anything else. Graceful and formalized, classical ballet has existed for centuries. Thus, separating the genre from other forms of dance. An ungodly amount of dedication is required in order to seriously train in classical ballet. To prepare for an upcoming performance, a large amount of time commitment is demanded from the dancer. Therefore, at a young age, dancers are forced to time manage, a skill that will stay with them throughout their lives.

Discipline is another trait developed in young dancers. Ballet studios instill numerous rules in regards to proper courtesy, such as arriving early, looking clean and professional, and remaining silent out of respect for the instructor. By upholding these standards, ballet dancers acquire knowledge that is applicable to school and the work field. Seldom does one find a ballet dancer not regarded as a perfectionist. Being disorganized is impractical when trying to balance a full schedule of school and ballet classes. Along with striving for perfection, dancers become detail-oriented and watch others for the purpose of bettering themselves. In order to maintain successful technique, ballet dancers stay focused and overcome stress, two characteristics that are useful in everyday life. Dancers pursuing ballet at a pre-professional level experience rapidly diminishing social lives. Seasonal performances, ballet competitions, auditions, and summer intensive programs take up weekends and summertime, forcing them to think about how much personal involvement betters their training. When traveling around the country to train, dancers improve networking skills by establishing connections with fellow dancers, instructors, and ballet companies. The physical aspects of ballet generate self-awareness. Knowing injury prevention, muscle imbalance, and much more help dancers understand not only their bodies, but also their emotions. By listening to one’s body and taking feedback seriously, dancers are set to lead healthy lives.

Ballet is most commonly known for its theatrical entertainment. Onstage presence is a talent useful in a variety of situations. Possessing confidence in front of hundreds, even thousands, of people is a desirable talent for any type of future endeavor. By living and breathing these lessons learned through ballet, it is incredible to see how closely they work to improve a young dancers’ futures. Regardless if one wishes to pursue a professional career in classical ballet, a dancer’s success is enhanced through his or her training, leaving one equipped and accomplished for any imaginable future.