There are good and bad things about being in a small dance company. Some of the good things include getting a more personalized instuction so you can improve more quickly and getting to have more and larger dancing opportunities.

However, one of the bad things is that you are often asked to do the same thing over and over again, simply because there is no one else to turn to.

This is my third year being in the Flower scene in Nutcracker, and I have had the same position each time. It’s gotten to the point where I can do this part backwards and forwards in my sleep with one hand tied behind my back. The director often jokes that I actually choreographed the entire ballet and that I’m just letting him use the choreography, since I know it so well. I was actually put partially in-charge of teaching and showing the dance to some of the younger, newer members of the company who haven’t had a chance to learn it yet. At the same time, it makes rehearsal a little tedious since I’ve been doing this for three years now.

The one thing that it is important to remember when doing something more than once is that you can always do it better the next time. There is always room for improvement, especially in ballet. Whenever I start to get bored or annoyed at how the rehearsal is progressing, I simply remind myself that there are still things I can be working on. Like my teacher always says, “No one is perfect, but that’s what you’re still striving to be.”