First time partnering

[PSB Ballerina]

I love to dance and have been dancing since i was three. I do ballet, tap, and contemporary but my real passion is ballet. Recently i auditioned and got a part as party girl in my schools nutcracker performance. I am one of the shorter girls in my dance school and was put as the shorter party girls. My sisters (i am a triplet) are big party girls because they are a lot taller than me. Well there is a small partnering part in the number and five girls partner with four boys (i partner sat. and another girl partners sun.). All of these girls have had partnering experience but me. Since i am short i was put with a nine year old boy. He's not tall and i seem to "tower over" him. I've wanted to partner for the last year now. Even though i'm short and the shorter girls get to partner (because our older boys aren't very tall) i've never partnered before. I want to prove myself ready for partner work but i feel like i won't be good enough. I love to dance but sometimes i feel like i'll never be good enough. Now the teachers are starting to develop favorites which makes things even harder. For example there one girl in my class who is talented but often messes up but the teachers never call her out on it. However, if someone like me messes up i get a lecture. I always go up to the teacher to correct my mistakes and end up getting the step.piece right. My classes are huge and we barely get one on one time with the teachers except the favorites who always are helped and the teacher always comments on them. What would you suggest i do to try and prove myself worthy of partnering?

Edited October 9, 2011 by PSB Ballerina

[Victoria Leigh]

PSB, partnering in Act I of Nutcracker is usually not anything like a classical pas de deux! The dances are girls and boys dancing together, but there are generally not any lifts or pirouettes in these kinds of dances. The party girls are usually not even on pointe.

 

That said, you prove yourself by just going to the rehearsal, learning what you have to do, and do it! If you were cast, then obviuosly the directors think that you are ready to do the choreography. If they believe in you, then you have no reason not to believe in yourself!

 

Don't worry in classes who gets attention and who doesn't. Just do what you are there to do. Learn, and do your very best all the time. That is what works in the end.

 

Now, I must ask, after reading several of your posts today, that you please take the time to use upper case letters for "I" and any other words that are normally capitalized. We do not accept text message type writing here on Ballet Talk for Dancers.

[PSB Ballerina]

Victoria Leigh, thank you. I am sorry for not capitalizing some letters and words. I will continue to use proper conventions from now on.

Edited October 9, 2011 by PSB Ballerina

[Victoria Leigh]

[PSB Ballerina]

Victoria Leigh, I have a question regarding pointe shoes forms. I know this is on the wrong forum but I can't send private messages yet and a while back sent a form for pointe shoes to Danielle Devor and haven't heard a reply. What should I do regarding this?

[Victoria Leigh]

There are threads on the Pointe Shoe Forum for the answers. The latest one, Pointe Shoe Suggestion Form Answers was posted on Oct. 3, and your results are there.

 

When you are in doubt about things here on the board, the answers are very often found in the "Sticky" threads. (Not the results thread, though. That is in the regular topic section.) But do check those Stickys on the various forums, as they are very helpful.