15 Struggles Only Ballet Dancers Can Relate To

The struggle for perfection is so real 

 Ballet dancers are pretty much the epitome of discipline, grace and perfection. But these qualities are not something they learn overnight. It takes intense training, blistered feet and years of practice to nail a triple pirouette or perform as a soloist. Here, we list down struggles only ballet dancers can relate to. Because the struggle for perfection is soo real 

1. In ballet, turned out feet are the norm

IRL, you still stand or walk with feet turned out, making people think you walk funny or are sakang

2. Cracking your toes freak people out

Pointe shoes and all that pointing of your toes in general are making your toes cramp, so toe cracking is a must 

3. Showing up to class without Band-Aids and masking tape is death

Ballerinas embrace pain and cover blisters and callouses with Band-Aid or piece of masking tape before putting on their pointes. Without them, the pain can sometimes be unbearable

4. Ugly feet problems

What sandals? Dead toenails, blisters, larger than life callouses are the price ballet dancers pay for perfection 

5. Before drag makeup, there was stage makeup

Ballet dancers are pretty much an expert at putting on stage makeup a.k.a black eyeliner + white eye shadow way below your lower lash line or white eyeliner to make eyes pop on stage

6. Finding the right shade of tights is crucial

Well it really depends on what your teacher requires, but proper ballet tights are neither too brown nor too pink 

7. Watching yourself dance on video is traumatic

Because the only things you see are your own mistakes

8. Synchronization is everything

Otherwise, you’re out of the cygnets in Swan Lake and find yourself as an understudy instead 

9. You don’t just know your choreography; you know everybody else’s

You know, just in case 

10. That one and only time you did a triple and damn, nobody saw it

Damn those turns

11. Learning French vocabulary, pronunciation and spelling are just as important as learning the dance itself

The teachers don’t show; they say everything in French. Allez! 

12. You don’t know what you’ll do if you lose your plastic box full of bobby pins, black elastics and hair net

Ballet teachers take grooming seriously 

13. Stronghold hair product is life

Because every strand of hair needs to be in place

14. You smell like a lola 

 Salon Pas, Tiger Balm, Bengay…you have all these and more 

15. You use a foot stretcher as often as possible

It’s all about having the perfectly arched feet