Dancing - blood, sweat and tears
Continuing the theme of focussing on physical activities that aren’t sport as we know it, we interviewed dance fanatic, Ella Dorward, 13, about her dancing career to date.
“Dancing makes me feel whole, it completes me. It is one of those things you don’t even realise you love so much, it’s just there forever.”
How old were you when you started dancing and why?
I first started dancing when I was four. From the moment I could walk everyone said I pranced around and had always dreamed of becoming a ballerina; little did I know the amount of effort and mental strength working towards this goal would entail. I would say I started to make my dream a reality when I was 12. I wanted to take dancing more seriously and moved to a pre-vocational, technical school, which is helping me to improve and has provided some amazing opportunities - I have been lucky enough to have lessons with some of the top dancers in the world such as Sarah Lamb and Yasmine Naghdi from the Royal Ballet School.
What types of dancing do you do? Why have you carried on with those?
In the past I have done quite a few styles of dance: ballet, tap, modern, jazz, contemporary and musical theatre, but I moved to my current dance school to focus more specifically on ballet technique in order to pursue a career in dance. I still do contemporary, which I love as it’s so free and expressive, but my focus is on ballet because it is seen as the hardest dance style and once classically trained in ballet you are able to do any other style of dance.
When you started dancing did you need any particular equipment?
Specific types of dance require certain shoes or clothing styles. For example for ballet you need ballet shoes, and later, when your teacher says you are ready, pointe shoes and we always wear leotards so the teacher can see the lines of the body. But for jazz or hip hop it’s often bare feet and comfortable clothes. Some dance schools may also have set uniforms.
Now I’m trying to build strength and maintain equal flexibility, equipment such as a TheraBand, a lacrosse or spikey ball or a foam roller are really good to have because the band creates resistance developing strength and the lacrosse ball and roller target deep tissue release. It is really important to roll out in your own time because otherwise your muscles seize up; this is because when your muscles burn they are ripping in very small amounts which is good because it builds strength.
What sort of training do you do?
I train roughly 14 hours a week in the studio, which entails the same repetitive exercises at the barre, centre and en pointe which are key to building certain muscles and can be developed into more complex and physically demanding steps. An example is grand battement (powerful leg lifts): usually at the barre you do grand battement at the end because that is when your body is warm and is then repeated in centre for balance. It is done so dancers are able to look gorgeous and effortless when leaping across the stage or holding their leg in fouettés (the classic ballet turn). When at home I aim to do at least half an hour of stretch and conditioning every day, although life does sometimes get in the way!
I think what many don’t realise is how hard it is to make ballet look easy. Dancers work just as hard as other sportspeople but have to make it look beautiful, effortless and tell a story at the same time. Of course I’m biased but I think ballet is one of the hardest physical activities for that reason. It’s not a competition like many other kinds of sport where the effort pays off straight away, it makes it a lot harder to keep yourself disciplined and keep going to see the bigger picture, you have to keep remembering it is for your future.
Can you compete in dance competitions?
When I was younger I used to enter lots of competitions and I made the All England Finals with a group of friends, but competitions are not such a big part of my dance experience now, I’m focusing on much more technical aspects which will be more beneficial in helping me secure a place at a renowned dance college in the future.
What’s been your personal highlight?
This is a hard question to answer: it’s always nice to receive compliments because we are constantly receiving constructive criticism. I would have to say my favourite memory is when I was asked to join my current ballet school because I was offered a place without even auditioning for it.
“Being offered the place felt like someone truly believed in me, could see my potential, recognised how hard I worked and trusted that I could have a future in the dance world.”
How has dance helped you in n life in general - confidence, body confidence, resilience, leadership, problem solving?
Dance has helped me in life in more ways than I could have ever realised. It has kept me driven and disciplined in all areas of my life including school; with my ballet schedule I have to be super organized to fit in homework, family and friends.
It has made me realise I’m stronger than I think, it’s really scary to be out there on a stage or even in class, with all eyes on you! It has given me self-belief and has made me learn to accept criticism and incorporate it in a positive way.
I think in ballet it is very easy to get swept up into the trap of body image and to believe that you need to look a certain way, which is not true, and is good to see some of the old perceptions changing. Managing body image is one of the hardest parts - looking at yourself wearing a leotard and tights in the mirror for long periods of time can make it difficult not to over analyse every little detail. I remind myself that dancers are strong and athletic and need to eat and replenish the nutrients in their bodies to keep pushing their limits. My teacher is really good at keeping us focused on dance and how important it is to look after our bodies well.
Can you start at any age? What would you say to someone considering dancing?
It is definitely possible to become successful in ballet at what is seen as a later age, Misty Copeland only started ballet at 13 and became the first African-American principle ballerina. She is world renowned for her performance of Firebird and her amazing recovery when she sustained 6 fractures in her left shin during the performance.
Even if you are not looking for a career as a dancer, anyone who loves music and dancing can get involved in dance fitness classes at any age. It’s fun and social and there are loads of styles of dance to choose from, anything from ballet and ballroom, to jazz, tap and street dance.
If you are considering ballet seriously, I would say go for it. Some talent is required but mostly it’s about hard work, commitment, dedication and keeping sight of your goals. The goal is not for the faint of heart - be prepared to ache all over most days, have bleeding feet, cry, be prepared to accept constant critique all because you love to dance.
How does ballet make you feel?
Dancing makes me feel whole, it completes me. It is one of those things you don’t even realise you love so much, it’s just there forever.
Thank you Ella for sharing your dancing career to date and all the highs and the lows! The beautiful photos are courtesy of Tina Frances Photography.