Work in Ballet

According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, the definition of the verb "work" reads as follows: "To be engaged in a physical or mental activity in order to achieve a purpose or end result." In relation to the dance world, however, "the purpose or end result" is a rather elusive goal that requires constant improvement and effort from the dancer. I believe that by default, dance both attracts and creates people with a perfectionist nature, because in many ways that mindset is necessary for success. Even in class when I feel that I have successfully completed one goal, there is always an infinite amount of corrections that I have yet to achieve. Similarly, one of the most difficult aspects of ballet for me is the coordination of the brain and the body. Knowing what my body should be doing in my head and actually executing the proper alignment, port de bras and musicality during a combination are two completely different worlds for me. Two specific challenges for me include engaging my core (especially my lower abdominals) and maintaining my pelvic alignment while doing exercises to the back. For me, "work" in ballet means constantly striving to fix these bad tendencies, maintain the rest of my composure, and simultaneously enjoy the movement, because at the end of the day- no matter how my technique classes went - dance is what I love to do. As I previously stated, these challenges will never provide one end result for me. The rest of my career will involve a consistent and diligent effort to evolve and improve upon my own abilities and performance.