Howland, who now runs the nonprofit dance organization Project Resurgence, said the lose-at-all-costs mentality “I can’t say if everyone supports it.” [within the schools]. What I can say is that as dancers we are very anxious and vulnerable. All we think about is, “What do we need to become?” So how do you get there? ”
Very few students make it all the way to graduation, let alone the corps de ballet or beyond. Bhavnani was one of only two students in her grade to complete her training. Most students either drop out or undergo an “evaluation.” To join the company after training, “you already have to have thick skin. But still, the schedule you have to deal with both mentally and physically can be taxing even for the most seasoned dancers. Yes. “It’s exhausting. It’s relentless.”
And when dancers aren’t cast in upcoming shows, “sometimes it almost becomes forgettable.” Bhavnani says some people see this as an opportunity to focus on rehabilitation, “but for others, it can often be a moment of doubt…that’s when you think, ‘I don’t have a life.’ It’s a combination of times you might feel it,” Bhavnani said. And at other times, you may feel like you’re not good enough. The medical and management teams “are doing their best, but it’s impossible to please everyone. And at the end of the day, the show must go on.”
RB’s first artist, Annette Bouvoli, now in her 11th season, says ballet is “more than just dancing on your toes and in a tiara.” During her time with the company, change has been “slow but constant.” She says dancers have been allowed to rehearse wearing trainers in recent years (show days require about six hours of rehearsal before performances), which takes some of the strain off her feet. It is said that it has been done. There is also more research being done on injury prevention, and more attention is being paid to managing dancers’ workloads. Some report the arrival of intimacy coordinators and strict enforcement of break times. “Ballet is an old art form, and it has a lot of good things about it. And the routines…” Buvoli trailed off. “I don’t mean anything bad, but it’s nice to be able to start making changes.”