YOUNG JOURNALIST
What Ballet Means To Me
By Jared Zeltner
I started ballet when I was three, at a time when my family was struggling to figure out my multiple food allergies. In most activities I am known as the allergy kid, not the kid who is good at science and math, who also has a great sense of humor. People often dismiss me because they think being around me is too much work. In ballet, I am known for my passion, work ethic, and dancing and not my food allergies. Ballet has given me a place where I am known for who I am and what I can do, and I am not labeled by my allergies. Ballet is a safe haven for me where I can be myself.
When I walk into the studio I feel at home. As I step up to the barre, a sense of joy and peace washes over me. I love the structure and order of the class. I love the endless quest for perfection. A dancer is always challenged because you can always improve. Technique can be perfected and strength can be gained. When I am dancing, I feel like I am defying gravity.
Another aspect of ballet that I enjoy is performing. Performing makes me feel euphoric and it is exhilarating. I live for the feeling of standing on stage after dancing my heart out and hearing the audience applaud. I love exercising my memory, and rehearsing tirelessly before a show. Ballet is not just a physical journey; it is an emotional one as well. Sometimes when I am feeling sad or exhausted and I don’t feel like dancing, my body tells my mind that I need to dance. For me, ballet class is a spiritual experience.
Family and ballet have been the two consistent pieces of my life. I take comfort in knowing that no matter where I am, I will always be at home in a ballet studio. I feel so lucky to have found an activity that I am passionate about. No matter where my training takes me, I will have learned discipline, determination, and dedication. I will also know the feeling of belonging. #
