Reflective Essay: My Classical Ballet Performance

Adorned with a tutu and pink carousel umbrella, I stood in the wings like a statue waiting for my music to play. I was five years old, my tape was lost in the mix, and I was terrified. That day I walked out onto the stage clenching my umbrella for dear life and completed my first ballet performance without a single hiccup. The show went on. And on for fourteen more years until finally abandoning the barre for academics in pursuit of another field highly focused on the body; medicine.
I will forever be grateful for my classical ballet training as I learned so much more than how to tie my hair into the perfect bun, impress friends with incredible flexibility, and speak a language that only fellow dancers understand. I learned the value of discipline, dedication, perseverance, collaboration, creativity, and compassion. Similar to becoming a member of a ballet company, …show more content…
My two-minute, pink to black costume change countdown had ended and left me with two choices: leave my colleagues to improvise a previously well-choreographed finale or get creative quick. I chose the latter, pulled on my black tights, and ditched my black pointe shoes. From the prima ballerinas to the corps de ballet to the extras decorating the periphery of the stage, everyone listed in the program fulfills an integral role and must be present for the performance to unfold as intended. The same applies to medicine. Individuals of assorted specialties and titles frequently join forces to devise a plan and provide the best care to each unique patient. A single dancer cannot successfully deliver a full-length ballet as it would be exceptionally difficult to embody a myriad of characters simultaneously. Likewise, a physician cannot effectively treat their patients without a team of consulting physicians, nurses, technicians, and everyone in between. Collaboration allows for more time at the bedside and preserves the essence of patient care; human