To be or not to be a bitchy ballerina?

There are many ballet urban legends that have been going around for centuries. The most common is the tale of the ballerina who put glass in the pointe shoe of her rival. The glass only to be discovered mid performance which left the glorious prima ballerina hobbling off stage with a pointe shoe filled with blood. However, nothing can compare to the very real act against the current director of the Bolshoi Ballet Friday.

Sergei Filin, current Artistic Director of the Bolshoi Ballet, was hit in the face with a bottle of acid. He was leaving a meeting with The Bolshoi Ballet's general director when a masked man called out his name and threw the bottle in his face. He suffered third degree burns and may possibly permanently loose his sight. Although there are many possible reasons for the assault, police believe that one possibility could be professional jealously.

This, along with the recent news of a certain cycling hero using performance enhancing drugs and destroying anyone who tried to leak his secret really makes you wonder...How far would you go to make your dream happen?

Now, of course competition is a natural part of dance and sports. Everyone has their rivals and of course we have all wished for something that someone else has had at one time in our lives. But, what defines someone as a "go getter" doing what ever it takes to get ahead, or a "bully" doing whatever it takes to get ahead?

I personally had one person in my life who has always stood out as being a "Ballet Bully". Lets call her Suzy. Growing up my teacher told me I needed to be more assertive like Suzy. Yes, Suzy was assertive, but she was also cruel to her fellow dancers and would have walked over anyone who got in her way. Suzy went on to be a very famous dancer using her "assertive" personality to get ahead. I strongly believe that what goes around comes around, and yet, what seems to come around for Suzy is success.

This has always been a hard pill for me to swallow. I have often wondered if my teacher was right. Should I be a bitchy ballerina in order to get what I want?

 Last season I had the pleasure of working with a guest artist who has had an amazingly successful career. The difference between this person and Suzy was this dancer was humble, sweet, professional, and had absolutely no ego anywhere in their personality. Oh... and they also happened to be ballet superstar. This proved to me that it was possible to be both a good person, and make it as a dancer at the same time.

Maybe it is a harder road but I personally would rather go to sleep at night knowing that I made it on my own physical talents and not my talents of intimidation.

What do you think? Is a little bit of intimidation necessary?

A new year, a resolution to be "Fearless", and the suprising place that inspired my new outlook.

Do you typically make New Year's resolutions for yourself?

I sometimes do, and sometimes don't. This year however, I was really inspired to make a change about myself and I have to say I am really hoping this is one resolution that I can keep.

My resolution this year is to be fearless in my dancing and in my life.

 Now...Where did my fearless idea come from?

My inspiration came from the men and women I take open class with. In open class it is always a mixed bag of dancers taking dance for all kinds of reasons. You have the current professionals on break trying to stay in shape, the aspiring professionals there to work towards their goals, the former ballerinas who take class once in a blue moon, and then you have the individuals who found dance later in life and are in there for no other reason than they love to dance. It is the last group that inspires me the most.

One day I was attending open class at a place I had never been before. I myself have always had some reservations when attending class in a new place. It is kind of that new kid in school feeling. As I was surveying the room to see what kind of dancers I was up against, in walks an older gentleman with all the confidence in the world. He takes a place next to me at the barre, and as he begins to stretch it becomes very obvious that he never danced a day in his life until recently. The class begins and although he struggles to learn the combinations his love for dance oozes out of every part of him. After we moved into the center I continue to observe the man. Every time the teacher speaks he leans in with such intensity, making sure he does not miss a second of what the teacher is saying. And when he danced he might as well have been the only person in the room.

Seeing this gentleman's enthusiasm for dance made me want to dance like that. I wondered why I didn't approach the class with the same careless abandonment. It was an easy answer. I was afraid!

Afraid I would make a mistake.
 Afraid I would look foolish.
Afraid I wouldn't improve.

So here I am. Putting it out into the world. I, Leah Marie Bueno, resolve to be fearless in 2013. I am sure that this declaration will be an adventure.

Happy New Year everyone!