For Dancers - Inside Ballet Technique

March 30, 2025March 30, 2025

Cultivating Excellence: How to Develop Leadership Skills in Ballet

Guest post by Emily Graham

Leadership in ballet is not merely about directing a company or studio—it’s a journey of constant self-improvement, resilience, and adaptability. In an ever-evolving art form, the ability to lead with both artistic vision and strategic thinking is essential. This article explores essential resources to help ballet leaders, from artistic directors and principal dancers to choreographers, hone their leadership skills. From enriching books to specialized training courses, here’s a guide to the top opportunities that can support your growth as a leader in the ballet world.

Mastery Through Books

In ballet, leadership is deeply intertwined with artistry, discipline, and vision. Books are a timeless way to develop these qualities by offering insights into the psychology of leadership, strategic thinking, and personal growth. Leaders can look to literature that connects the nuances of ballet with broader leadership principles.

Books on Leadership: For a foundational guide to personal and professional growth, The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People by Stephen R. Brood outlines timeless principles every entrepreneur should master to navigate uncertainty and scale with clarity.
Biographies of Iconic Ballet Leaders: Learning about the lives of legendary ballet figures, like George Balanchine or Margot Fonteyn, provides rich examples of leadership in the dance world. Their stories can shed light on overcoming challenges and nurturing talent in a competitive environment.
Emerging Trends in Artistic Leadership: To stay current, leaders in the ballet world should read about emerging trends in arts management, such as inclusive casting or the integration of digital platforms with live performances. These shifts require leaders to be innovative and adaptable.

Online Courses for Skill Enhancement

Digital learning has opened up a wealth of opportunities for ballet leaders to refine their craft. Online platforms offer flexibility, allowing you to enhance your leadership skills while maintaining a demanding schedule. Whether you’re focusing on emotional intelligence or strategic thinking, there’s a course to fit every need.

Platforms for Leadership Development: Coursera and LinkedIn Learning offer courses that cover a range of topics relevant to ballet leadership, from organizational behavior to team management. These courses provide practical tools and strategies that can be implemented in your role, whether you’re managing a dance company or leading a ballet school.
Specialized Leadership Programs for the Arts: Institutions like the Juilliard School and The New School offer leadership and management courses tailored to the arts. These specialized programs teach ballet leaders how to manage budgets, build donor relationships, and cultivate a culture of creativity and discipline within their organizations.
Interactive Webinars and Workshops: Participating in live sessions can allow for real-time interaction with peers and experts in ballet management. These interactive workshops often feature discussions on how to balance artistry with the operational demands of running a company, an essential skill for any ballet leader.

Articles and Case Studies

Staying up-to-date on current trends and case studies in ballet is a vital part of leadership development. Industry publications and articles can keep you informed about the latest shifts in the dance world and how other companies are leading the charge.

Ballet and Arts Management Publications: Publications like Dance Magazine and The Art Newspaper provide valuable case studies, offering insights into how ballet companies around the world are tackling leadership challenges, such as adapting to changing audience expectations or responding to social justice movements within the art form.
Case Studies on Leadership in Ballet: Dive into specific examples of how prominent ballet companies have navigated leadership transitions, innovative performances, or financial crises. These stories can offer lessons in resilience, vision, and the delicate balance of managing artistic and business needs.
Ballet Blogs by Experts: Following blogs by professional dancers, choreographers, and ballet administrators can provide ongoing learning opportunities. These resources often feature personal stories, industry advice, and fresh ideas that can inspire new leadership approaches.

Networking and Peer Learning

The ballet industry thrives on collaboration, and leadership is no different. Engaging with other professionals through networking opportunities allows for the exchange of ideas, experiences, and strategies. Learning from peers can expose you to new approaches and solutions for challenges you face as a leader.

Industry Events and Seminars: Attending conferences, masterclasses, or festivals provides a space for networking with other artistic leaders and discussing best practices in ballet management. Whether you’re attending a gathering like the International Ballet Festival or a local workshop, these events offer inspiration and practical takeaways for leadership.
Mastermind Groups for Artistic Leaders: Participating in a mastermind group with other ballet directors or choreographers offers a platform for sharing experiences and discussing industry challenges. These groups can lead to innovative problem-solving and collaborative opportunities.
Mentorship in Ballet: Having a mentor or being a mentor can be an invaluable part of leadership development. A senior mentor can offer advice on navigating complex issues in both the creative and operational sides of ballet, helping you avoid common pitfalls.

Practical Experience

No amount of reading or learning can replace the value of hands-on experience. Real-world practice allows leaders in ballet to test their skills and develop a deeper understanding of the art form’s intricate dynamics. By immersing yourself in practical situations, you can refine your leadership abilities in a way that theory alone cannot provide.

Leading Dance Projects and Initiatives: Stepping into a leadership role within a dance project or event is an excellent way to gain practical experience. Whether organizing a performance or managing rehearsals, these tasks provide a direct application of leadership skills in a creative environment.
Collaboration with Other Dance Professionals: Cross-collaboration between dancers, choreographers, and administrators offers invaluable experience in handling different aspects of ballet leadership. It also deepens your ability to mediate between artistic needs and organizational constraints.
Feedback and Self-Reflection: Actively seeking feedback from peers and dancers, followed by self-reflection, is essential for continued improvement. The ability to evaluate your decisions and their impact on the company’s performance helps refine your leadership approach.

The Importance of Lifelong Learning

The journey toward leadership excellence in ballet is ongoing. Just as dancers continuously strive for technical and artistic perfection, ballet leaders must also engage in lifelong learning. By regularly engaging with diverse resources, from reading to networking, you ensure your leadership stays fresh, relevant, and adaptive to the evolving landscape of ballet.

Whether through books, online courses, or real-world experiences, every resource you explore contributes to your growth as a leader. By remaining open to new ideas and approaches, you position yourself—and your company—for long-term success in the ballet world.

April 30, 2017May 2, 2017

Dancers and Weight: A Delicate Balance

Weight is a topic many dancers tend to dwell on. I first became conscious of my weight when I was studying ballet at Butler University in the early enrollment program for high school students. Once a month we were weighed, and a few dancers were counseled based on the numbers the scaled returned (either too high or too low). Fortunately at that time my weight was right where it was expected to be, and I didn’t have to think about it much.

As a teacher I was never in a position to demand any student to focus their attention on their weight. For the most part, I taught kids who were still growing and really shouldn’t be worrying about it. Now that I have my own children, I think it’s important for them to concentrate on eating right and getting exercise however they enjoy getting it, but I would be concerned to learn that either of my daughters, at ages 12 and 14, thought they needed to go on a diet.

When I was a young dancer I had heard about people being anorexic or bulimic, and I was aware of the heightened sensitivity in the room whenever a teacher made mention of someone’s weight. I knew of one girl who was taken to the hospital to have her stomach pumped, and another who was addicted to exercise and couldn’t gain weight no matter how hard she tried or how much she ate. For myself, I was always grateful that these were not issues I had to worry about. During my undergraduate years I was a healthy weight for a dancer, always around 100 pounds at 5’2”. But when I was doing graduate work I lost weight as I went through a period of severe depression. I was working all day at the university and most evenings with a local company, teaching classes and dancing at least eight hours a day, if not more.

At that time, I went to the campus health center for a sinus infection and was very abruptly introduced to fear, handed on a platter full of desserts and whole milk (just kidding) from the doctor who threatened to put me in the hospital because I was under weight. I ate regularly, although the depression had made me less hungry, but I felt that if I had the energy I needed to get through the rigorous schedule I was maintaining then I was fine and the doctor had no right to intrude. They were very serious, however, and thus began a new experience for me: eating as much dessert and drinking as much whole milk as possible. Really. It was very interesting, and since I have a sweet tooth it was easy to manage, but I think the best help I got was by visiting a psychiatrist and being put on anti-depressants. My appetite returned to normal and my weight did, too. And here is some good information on kicking the sweet tooth habit.

I had a friend I danced with at the Lexington Ballet who struggled with her weight constantly. After she quit dancing (and stopped worrying about being overweight), she lost weight! So there’s something to be said about obsessing too much over it. Stress can definitely swing the scales upward. When you’re under stress, a hormone called cortisol is released. This prepares us for the fight or flight response. Read more here to find out about that.

For dancers today, I would recommend making healthy decisions if you feel you have a weight problem. Eat many fruits and vegetables and cut back on fast food or foods with lots of preservatives. There is a great post on healthambition.com about the best foods to eat if you want to lose weight. Drink plenty of water. Sometimes when we feel hungry, we may actually just be thirsty. It’s difficult for us to recognize the difference between hunger and thirst. And a good rule of thumb in all things is moderation. Taking anything to an extreme is usually not a healthy choice. Click here for some healthy tips on diet.

Do any other dancers or teachers have any insights to add? Please leave a comment below.

February 16, 2017February 16, 2017

Patience, Perseverance, and Punctuality

I’d love to take a poll to learn why parents enroll their children in dance. My parents did it because my friend who lived next door took tap and ballet and taught me everything she knew. She adored her teacher, and since I simply couldn’t get enough out of my friend (and because I knew I wouldn’t get real tap shoes unless I took a real class—I used patent leather shoes as a substitute), my parents were subjected to my begging until they relented.

For those parents who aren’t sure their money couldn’t be better spent elsewhere, I’m writing this series of posts about what dance can teach about life. The first in the series was awareness and poise. Today I’m going to tackle what I call the P trio: patience, perseverance, and punctuality. They intermingle a lot, so it seems appropriate to put them together.

Patience comes first. Anyone who takes ballet can attest to the fact that double pirouettes and going en pointe do not happen overnight. So, first of all, as a student you learn that you must be patient with the process. This means that you take classes that your teacher recommends and you know that when you’re ready to move to the next level he/she will move you up. Within the process, you must also be patient with your own development, with your ability to pick up combinations quickly, and with any physical barriers that might not play in your favor. Being patient with the process as a whole and with yourself as you struggle through the personal process of becoming a dancer are vital to steady progress.

And so it is in life, no? We all know patience is a virtue, and most of us are fairly capable of being patient with others, but how many of us are patient with ourselves? From dance I learned that it’s okay to be confused the first time you’re introduced to something. It’s a good idea to watch others who do it better and figure out what they’re doing differently too. The best thing dance has taught me about patience is that I don’t expect to be a whiz the first time I try anything new. I know I just have to keep applying myself and that over time I may (or may not) become a whiz at it.

Perseverance is an important trait in a dancer. Remember the old adage, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try again”? Well, it’s undeniably true! Not only is perseverance important, in a dancer it is pretty much imperative. I remember feeling such satisfaction when I could finally watch and learn a combination well enough to stand in front at the barre. For years I had to stand between people so that I had someone to follow when I forgot what came next! Okay, so then I eventually felt confident to stand in front or go in the first group in the center as well. But THEN came pas de deux (or partnering) class… Now we can really talk about patience and perseverance! When you begin working with someone else these two qualities are essential.

What’s exciting about learning perseverance from dance training is that the whole process, as with patience, relies on diligence. For example, a dancer takes class daily. It doesn’t matter how good you become; you still have to take class every day if you’re to maintain the strength and technique you’ve achieved (and you can always improve). It continues after class and into rehearsal as well. How many times do we repeat pieces of choreography before we’re ready to perform it onstage? You really don’t have a choice in the matter—“do it again” is a common refrain in rehearsals. Even if you did everything right, you have to work with everyone else in the piece which means exactly where you’re standing at any given moment has to line up with where everyone else is standing. Keeping lines straight, staying equidistant, synchronizing your arms and where to focus your eyes…getting all of these things right means doing it over and over again. And then when you move from the studio to the stage you must block everything again to make it work on stage.

For me, dancing gave me the gift of perseverance that I’ve applied to my life in numerous ways. I don’t expect things to be perfect without a lot of fine tuning. I don’t give up halfway through a project I’ve begun. Sticking with something to completion is huge, and I owe my ability to finish what I start to the training I received in ballet.

Punctuality is last, but not least. Knowing you should be punctual and actually being punctual are two separate beasts. Punctuality isn’t about your good intentions. You are either on time, or you’re late. When I had to rely on a parent to drive me to ballet classes in another city I was often late. It wasn’t my fault! But it didn’t matter, because late is late. I dreaded walking into class after it had started because many teachers wouldn’t allow you to just pick up where everyone else was. If you missed plies then you had to do them on your own and catch up as quickly as you could, and that is if your teacher allowed you to do this. Sometimes you can be so late to class that catching up isn’t even possible, so you have to sit out and watch.

You can bet that whenever I have to be somewhere now, I am very VERY rarely late. Early is best, but on time will do. When you go to ballet class on a daily basis you quickly learn that being late has consequences you’d rather not deal with, and so you get into the habit of giving yourself more than enough time to get there. Personally, I think punctuality should be a virtue. When we’re late for appointments we are stealing the time of whoever is there waiting on us. Tardiness (to me, at least) is inconsiderate. So as someone once said, “Better late than never, but better never late!”

And so it is that patience, perseverance, and punctuality are wonderful characteristics bestowed upon those who dance. Each one is a necessity, and each one can easily be applied to any area of life as well. What I’m trying to say here is that so many life lessons are learned in dance training that it doesn’t matter if you end up dancing for a livelihood. Those hours spent in the studio are not for naught if you end up in law school, nursing, banking, or home-making. So many valuable lessons have been learned and so many respectable character traits have been developed during that time, making whatever you set out to do in life more easily attained.

February 16, 2017February 16, 2017

9 Reasons I’m a Thankful Dancer

As we approach Thanksgiving I am moved to recall past events or routine encounters in my daily life that make me grateful I’m a dancer. I’m sure that dancers everywhere appreciate the values that dance, and especially ballet, instill into them. I’m grateful that dance taught me to keep trying until I figure something out, to be on time (if not early) to any appointments, to be patient with myself and others, to notice the beauty of things all around us, to recognize classical compositions and composers, and to keep myself healthy and strong — to name but a few!

Are you really a dancer?

What reasons make you thankful to be a dancer? Leave them in the comments!

Here are 9 of mine…

1. One time my dad and I got stuck on the way to ballet in a snow storm and kept frostbite at bay by putting lamb’s wool in our shoes.

2. In 9th grade I got upset over a boy and ate a whole bag of Reese’s cups without gaining a pound.

3. On final exam day I didn’t hear my alarm clock but wasn’t late because I could get dressed in 30 seconds flat.

4. I’m thankful I can get whipped cream on my hot chocolate at Starbucks.

5. I’m thankful I can hop up on the kitchen counter to reach something on the top shelf of my cupboard.

6. I’m thankful for the ability to jeté over puddles.

7. I’m thankful to walk into my closet and only have skinny clothes to choose from.

8. I’m thankful that no matter how bad a mood I’m in, hearing ballet music in public makes me smile.

9. I’m thankful I don’t have to clutter my bonus room with gym equipment; I can just pull out a chair and do barre.

Here’s a bonus one that’s not so weird, but I’m thankful that I know how much work it takes to become really good at something worth doing.

Leave a comment telling us why you’re thankful for dance in your life!

February 16, 2017February 16, 2017

Awareness and Poise

If I don’t build up calluses on my toes then they will rub raw and bleed.
When I haven’t eaten all day I usually don’t have much strength or energy to jump in class.
Forcing turnout weakens my knees and ankles.
Rehearsing without properly warming up the muscles can lead to soreness and possible injury.
I have a hard time remembering the steps when I stay up too late the night before.

The list goes on and on of course, but this cause and effect gives us greater awareness about our own bodies and minds. I believe that knowing our limits (and that we do have them), being sensible about warming up, and eating a healthy diet among other things teaches us that this one body—the only one we will ever have—must be cared for if we want it to last.

Another thing dance gave me that has been applicable in other parts of my life is poise. Poise, to me, is much more than carrying oneself with assurance and grace. For me, it’s what happens before that outward manifestation. It involves calming the mind, putting away the worries of what could go wrong and bringing forth the positive thoughts about how you want to appear onstage. Once you quiet the mind and trust your body to remember the choreography, you step onstage and put faith in yourself. And believe it or not, you maintain faith in yourself until you’ve completed what you went out there to do. If you make a mistake, you must learn to train the mind to immediately forgive and forget, so as not to make a complete mess of what follows. Completing the dance to the end and not giving up somewhere in the middle is a good metaphor for whatever we undertake in our lives.

Learning the power of the mind, trusting in yourself, caring for and nourishing your body, and understanding that as humans we have physical limits and aren’t invincible—all of these are essential elements on the path to success and happiness, no matter what career you ultimately choose or what direction life takes you. And when life takes you down a path you weren’t expecting, these attributes will prove invaluable in dealing with whatever comes your way.

February 10, 2017February 10, 2017

Improve Your Balance

In ballet, balance is a key factor. There’s more to balancing than simply holding a pose, too. Every aspect of an adagio exercise requires tremendous balance and control, whether you are holding a pose for several counts or simply moving from one pose to the next. A pirouette is a balance while turning. The interesting part about balancing, to me, is not so much the physical strength it involves, but the discipline of the mind. Both pieces are important.

Yes, you must be strong. In order to hold a balance you have to be in command of the pose and have the necessary strength to maintain it. We know that balancing at retiré is a good preparation for pirouettes. If you want to do a triple pirouette with the foot at the knee, you must be able to at least balance in that position without turning for as long as it would take to rotate three times.

When we practice balancing at the barre it is helpful to remember that the position we’re balancing in is never static. We aren’t statues; we’re living, breathing beings. There must be life and breath involved. I once had a teacher who would say that from a single balanced position, the audience must never know whether we will run off the stage, move into yet another position, or even begin to turn. This is where it’s imperative that we can adapt to those minuscule changes in order to maintain our equilibrium. Even if we feel ourselves drifting off to the right, we are able to make adjustments that put us back on our center axis without completely losing the balance.

Turns at the barre was always one of my favorite things. It’s tricky at first because you have to learn how to avoid hitting the barre with your knee, but we would do half turns, full turns, fouetté turns, both en dehors and en dedans. It was a bit like working with a partner!

I had another teacher who would come and stand next to us while we were balancing and make ridiculous movements like a chicken. Anything to make us lose our concentration and laugh. This part is what fascinates me more than the physical part. Being able to focus our thoughts on staying lifted out of the hips, breathing in and out, noticing change in the environment but sustaining our position within it—this takes a lot of practice and discipline. It’s important to stay with yourself and not worry about the person in front of you who may be doing a better or worse job of it than you.

Another point I’d like to make about balance is focusing the eyes. Just as we’re not trying to look like a stiff statue, we may find it easier at first to maintain our balance if we keep our eyes focused on an object, but it’s really good to practice moving your focus too. When I was teaching I would try to start out class with balances on two feet, then on one foot, then moving from one position to another (for example, from retiré to arabesque or attitude), or taking the arms from fifth en haut to an open V and turning the gaze away from the barre.

Key Points for Balancing:

Lift out of the supporting hip. Let there be a circular energy: as your weight pushes down into the floor, lift the muscles above the kneecaps and through the thighs upward. Don’t “settle” into a balance.
Keep the back wide and don’t let the shoulder blades creep towards each other.
Think of lifting up and over, like your ribcage is resting on a little shelf.
Focus at or above your line of sight so your chin doesn’t drop.
Keep breathing and moving, adapting to minuscule changes in your body and the atmosphere.
Strengthen and engage your core, the abdominal muscles.

Image file is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 3.0 Unported license. Author Danivalcarce