Dance Ethnography

The intense lights, colorful costumes, and ribboned pointe shoes decorated the stage. As the lively music played for those dancing in the spotlight, I waited in the wings, nerves jumping in my stomach. Every little movement would be seen from the peering eyes of the audience. Preparation for this role was packed into a few weeks, and both the honor of earning this part and the pressure of performing well accumulated on my shoulders. Originally, I had an ensemble part with the rest of my dance class, only understudying for role of Autumn, one of the four soloist positions offered in Milwaukee Ballet School’s Spring Showcase, Snow White. A few weeks before the show, the dancer who I was understudying for became unable to perform her role. The …show more content…
I had so much to prove, to myself, to my peers, and those who came to watch the show. When the weekend of shows arrived, I had to dance both my ensemble part and my autumn solo. After my ensemble part, I had to sprint off stage, throw my hair into a bun, fastened my warm, rhinestoned crown atop of my head, and tightened my delicately embroidered tutu. Seconds before my solo, I would catch my breath, warm up my feet, stretch, and mentally prepare myself by going over the choreography in my head. The dance before mine soon came to an end, and before I knew it, I was entering the stage, proudly performing the memorized choreography. Every pirouette and grande jeté felt so liberating and suddenly, I was dancing the final steps in the choreography. After my solo was complete, I curtsied, concluding my performance. The audience cheered as I bowed, making all of the endless rehearsals, challenging corrections and taxing preparations worthwhile. As a young girl, who simply twirled in a circle until she was dizzy, I couldn’t have imagined my ballet technique would lead to opportunities such as this. Although I didn’t always love the challenging aspects of ballet, I have grown to find passion, self-confidence and excitement through the art form. I used to be embarrassed to admit it, but now, I proudly display that I dance