Life On Pointe: palmetto's ballerinas

from The Panther 2022-23 Issue 7: Freedom on Wheels

FEATURE |13

The elegance of ballet caught the eyes of many Miami Palmetto Senior High students at an early age. Outside of school, they all live a life within the mirrors and barres of their dance studio and in the grace of their pointe shoes.

The unique skill of ballet requires discipline, commitment, practice and extensive dedication. Most ballerinas begin as young children and carry on their passion to advance their talents, living a majority of their lives at dance competitions and practicing new routines on a daily basis.

“I started [ballet] when I was threeyears-old. My mom put me in it and I really liked it and kept going with it,” MPSH junior and ballerina Sofia Portugal said. “It kind of takes my mind off of everything; it’s a way to get out of everything that’s going on in school.” Especially for youth, ballet practices more than just physical abilities. Ballet improves coordination, posture, range of motion and balance, while teaching discipline and endurance. Starting young allows a dancer to have the proper foundation and gain skills as they begin advancing their potential. Additionally, the technicality and abstract nature of ballet has a major influence on dancers, as the inspiration and organization extends beyond just the different steps of the choreography.

“I’d say [ballet is] different as compared to other styles [of dance] because well, first off, it’s a lot slower. There’s no words to [the] songs, it’s just classical music, and it’s not interpretive,”

MPSH junior and ballerina Alexandria Browne said. “Other styles of dance are more open to people’s interpretations, but ballet is all about technique. So it’s very specific, which is not like other styles of dance. And so I guess I chose [it] because it’s a lot more organized.”

The emphasis of gracefulness and discipline surrounding ballet culture defines the form of dance. Many ballerinas spend their entire afternoons in a studio practicing for upcoming recitals and competitions. The amount of time spent at the studio leads to the formation of powerful relationships among their fellow ballerinas.

“We’re [currently] preparing for a show now, and we just spent last Saturday there for like six hours and we all take naps and eat together and it’s fun spending time with [the other dancers],” Portugal said. “We spend a lot of time with each other so we definitely have really, really close relationships, like even on days we don’t have dance we’re still together.”

Ballerinas dedicate hours to learning dances and practicing pointe, leading to decreased time spent for completing schoolwork and other activities. Many find themselves cramming time in between breaks or late at night after practice to do all of their unfinished assignments, leading to late nights and fatigue.

“Getting burnt out is definitely one of [the hardships I’ve faced in ballet] because you have to work like six out of seven days. I’m usually at the studio for five to six hours a day, so that’s a lot. And then on top of school, it’s easy to get burnt out,” Browne said. “Dancing for so many years, and then having to decide if you want to do a career or not, it’s kind of a whole lot.”

Despite the difficulties, ballet has introduced these dancers to their passion, which they admire and demonstrate through hours of work. Ballet is based heavily on the amount of technique a dancer is equipped with. When ballerinas reach at least 11-yearsold, they will begin practicing with pointe shoes. This presents another level of challenges to dancers, as they must master balancing all their weight on their toes. As dancers become more accustomed to the shoes, they will begin doing partner work with other dancers. From jumps to leaps, and even lifting, ballet on pointe presents a unique flair in the dance world.

“When first advancing to pointe it felt like a whole new type of dance style. It took a long time to get used to dancing the style of ballet on different types of shoes,” Portugal said. “As much as dancing on pointe has become a natural way of dancing, there is a lot of pain that comes with it. After dancing for hours on pointe shoes it causes a lot of pain since you are literally dancing on your toes.”

According to ballet demographics, girls outnumber boys in ballet by a ratio of 20 to one. MPSH junior Alastair Page is one of those male ballerinas. Dancing since the age of 10, Page has found a passion for dance.

“I started dancing at age 10 when my sister was shy about starting ballet and wanted me to do it with her,” Page said.

For all dancers, dancing creates a community unlike others. Bonds made between fellow dancers and even their instructors, help encourage maximum effort among themselves. The positive relationships made in the studio carries from the dance floor to the spectators.

“Something I love about dance is performing in front of the community,” Page said. “What keeps me motivated to dance is helping the community.”

For some, their dedication for the art form has single-handedly fused its way into their daily lives. Beyond her regular practice time, Browne spends hours at her dance studio teaching others ballet. This has not