Being a Professional

Another post, written about "Nutcracker" a few years ago.


Some people define a professional as someone who is paid for what they do. This is part of the definition, sure, but there is far more to being a professional than that. I have known some "professional dancers" who had no right to the other parts of the definition, parts that deal with personal conduct, attitude and response to pressure or a crisis.

One of my students was dancing a lead role in "Nutcracker" this past weekend. In her first entrance, she had a bit of a stumble and came offstage doing her best to laugh it off. I could see that it meant more than that; before her next entrance she said, in a "joking" tone, that she had to redeem herself.

Now this girl is young and I will cut young people a lot of slack, especially in a high-pressure environment such as a series of performances during the holidays, after an extensive rehearsal period, the weekend before finals, blah, blah... blah. If she had let her early stumble get to her and affect the rest of her performance, I would have said something gentle, yet firm, about being in a lead role and having responsibilities as a principal and how she could not let that happen again.

I did not have to.

She went back on stage and danced exquisitely. I wasn't amazed at how good she was, but with how she stepped up and took her dancing to another level, a professional level. Her balances were sure, her extensions eloquent, her jumps spectacular. The role is not only technically demanding, but a real breather. Usually corps work is physically harder, with soloists coming on and off with the more complex and elaborate steps, but this just keeps going and going and ends with a series of pirouettes- well, you get the idea.

I was so proud of her. She ignored the previous error and went on to do her best show of the weekend. She showed what it is to be a professional, no matter whether you are paid or not.

Good girl!

Merry Christmas.