This post is going to be a little different, however it is something I was up at 3am last night thinking about, and I want to write about because even if I don't have an audience, this is something I need to remind myself of every now and again.
One of the things I'm most insecure about is my age coupled with my level. I haven't been doing ballet consistently since a young age and often I feel like I'm the only one who is as driven as I am is in the same situation. But I'm not. I'm not going to be a professional classical dancer. I may not even make some sort of career out of this. All I can do right now is work as hard as I can at this point in time. I get told on forums that my schedule isn't sufficient. But it is difficult to acquire a schedule that is 'sufficient' (i.e daily 1.5 hr classes, daily pointe classes plus variations, comtemporary etc. total of like 15-20hrs a week) in my situation. I live away from the city and I go to an already good studio, it just doesn't have the pre-pro schedule. I'll be overjoyed if I manage 10 hrs a week over 4-5 days a week. Even if I only do like 7 hrs a week. I'm in my last year of high school, my education is my main priority now.
I can go away into the city and do full time ballet for a week or so during the breaks, but I have to keep my schedule modest during the school terms, because I need to be focused on my studies so I can do well in my HSC and go to University. That's the reality of it.
Because I've started 'late', when I compare myself to others I feel really bad because I forget that I only been at it for 3 years. I feel like I should be at their level, otherwise I'm not 'good'. But I have the passion and the love for ballet, and I work as hard as I can. But someone who's older and who doesn't have the muscle memory/naturally flexible body of a young child who works as hard as she can for 3 years cannot physically attain the same result as someone her age who's been working as hard as she can for 10 years. So all I can do is work as hard as I can right now. Look forward to the future, don't regret the past.
I don't like the term late starter. Because unless you're Misty Copeland and started when you're 13 and became a professional, you're not late for anything. Most people who study ballet don't become a professional dancer. Even those who have been studying it since they were young. It's never to late to dance because you love it. We all know that. But it's also never to late to dance and become
good. I'm sure whenever the topic of 'late starters' arise,
Vanessa Sah from the Anaheim Ballet Youtube channel pops up instantly. She's not a professional, but she started when she was in college, and she's a
good dancer. She may not be at a professional level, but she still trains hard. And because of this she inspires me. I hate the idea that you can only be a good dancer if you train at a pre-professional level. There is such a thing as serious yet recreational. You don't have to succumb to training once or twice a week just because you can't be a professional. If you love to dance but can only do it 4 times a week, you can still be a good dancer. There is no time limit, work as hard as you can and progress in your own time.
I started this blog so I can set goals and track my progress. It's working and it motivates myself to work hard , because I'm tracking my progress. I have to remind myself the little things and the big things I've achieved after only 3 years of ballet. I have to remind myself why I dance in the first place. I dance because being connected to movement and having my mind completely focused is so therapeutic. My friend said once "Some people have therapy, I have dance".
You need a pre-professional schedule and life to be a professional. But you don't need it to dance.
Some exercises I plan to do everyday during the rest of my break to help refine some troublesome areas of my technique!
Clams! Tie a resistance band around your ankles and lay on your side with your knees bent and your shoulders, hips, and ankles all in one straight line (I like to do these with my back against a wall to ensure that they all stay in a straight line). Open your top knee as far as you can away from your bottom knee and as slowly as you can, and control your knee coming down to meet the other one. Repeat 15-20 times and do the same on your other side (with the other knee coming up). To strengthen your turn-in, do the same but have the resistance band around your knees and lift your ankles up.
make the soles of your feet touch, so your heels are as close to your crotch as possible (and your knees open like butterfly wings!). Relax your rotators and your butt. Lean forward as far as you can and hold for 30-60 seconds when you feel a good stretch. Remember to breathe! Your muscles need oxygen! You can also gently push your knees down with your elbows/hands when you lean forward, but if you feel pain (especially in your knees) don’t! Just stick with leaning forward. Some feel pain in their knees/ankles when they push their knees down, so be careful. 
Froggy! Lay on your stomach with your knees bent and the soles of your feet together. Try to get a stretch in multiple positions. Start with your knees just barely bent to where you can feel a stretch and hold for 30 seconds. Bend your knees some more and hold that stretch for 30 seconds. Bend them where your heels are 2 feet behind your crotch and hold for 30 seconds. Bend to 1 foot, and just behind (you can also do this with butterfly).
Lay on your stomach in froggy. Bring your torso up off of the ground (keeping your spine straight and pevlis in a held neutral position) and bring your knees in the same line as your hip bones (so your left knee to your hips to your right knee should be a straight line). Make sure your lower legs are at a 90-degree angle to your thighs (this is another one I like to do against the wall with the bottoms of my feet on the wall). Hold for 30-60 seconds.
