I started writing this last summer, but kept stalling, however having watched Matthew Bourne's 'The Red Shoes' and a documentary about Torvill and Dean's quest to skate on wild ice over the last fortnight, I think the Gods of Blogging are giving me a gentle nudge, so here goes.
Amateur........Hmmmmm......
The word amateur always seems to have a sting in it's tail when used within the context of adults and the performing arts.
In the opening scenes of Powell and Pressburger's 1948 film 'The Red Shoes', Boris Lermontov (Ballet Impresario) is in no doubt how he feels "I can't bear amateurs" he says on hearing that Vicky Page was due to dance at her Aunt's party.
In the end she got the gig (as a professional) and we all know how that turned out.
The word amateur derives from the Latin word, amator, or lover. In a sense, that is what it means to be an amateur—someone who dedicates himself or herself to a pursuit not for the money, but for love. The Oxford English Dictionary defines amateur as "one who cultivates anything as a pastime, as distinguished from one who prosecutes it professionally"
This, to me, is an incredibly straight forward categorization.......I do this because I love it and it brings me immense joy.
So why is there sometimes a raised eyebrow when I tell people I do ballet and why do I find that I hastily add "It's just a hobby, I've never danced professionally", I doubt I would find the need to qualify that if I was talking about tennis or swimming. I once had somebody say to me, (and this was about fifteen years ago when I was in my mid-thirties), "Oh, I didn't know they taught old people"
To reiterate........I do this because it brings me joy.....not because I expect to dance Odette at the Royal Opera House.
There doesn't seem to be the same stigma in sport, it's just a classification, without the 'Side-eye' connotations.
The rules may have changed in recent years, but there was a time when you had to have an amateur status to compete in the Olympics.
Torvill and Dean skated Bolero in 1984 as amateurs. Not only did they bring home the gold medal, they achieved an unprecedented perfect score of 6.0 for artistic impression from all nine Olympic judges.
They are still the highest scoring figure skaters of all time.
They were classed as amateurs.
Think about that.
Yes, of course, they are elite athletes, as are the company members of classical Ballet Companies and the many vocational students in training and yes, you do have to start early and put in decades of dedication and hard work.
And, yes, it takes focus, commitment, skill, drive, artistry and luck (an injury can end a career), as well as being born with the right skeletal and muscular anatomy, and so, no, taking a class once a week won't transform you into a professional dancer.
However, it will bring you an immense amount of joy, alongside numerous physical and mental benefits.
2020 showed us all how much we missed live performances, but it also taught us how much we missed taking class, from the Clore Studio to the Church Hall, dancers of all ages and abilities missed the music, the movement, the power, the joy and freedom of expression and the camaraderie of sharing these moments.
So as the New Year begins (whatever it has in store), stand tall (#natch), believe in yourself and your art form (because whether its Good Toes, Naughty Toes or the Black Swan Coda, it is an art form), look the world squarely in the eye (well probably through the lens of Zoom) and in 2021 proudly call yourself a Dancer.
#dance #dancers #ballet #adultballet #adultballetstudents #itsnevertoolate #balletisnotanage #liveyourballetpassion #theredshoes #torvillanddean #bolero #perfectscore #olympics #amateurstatus
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