Where’s your tutu?

Asking a dancer where her tutu is at is like asking a basketball player where his ball is. You only have the ball for games and practice. You’re not walking around with a basketball in your arms all day. Usually, we only wear tutus for ballet, and when we do wear them we don’t wear them all the time. Tutus are more for performances and auditions, not everyday street wear.

Do you even sweat?

Yes, I’ve left practice drenched in my own blood, sweat, and tears more than enough times. We do a lot more than everyone seems to think.

Dance is easy

Dance only looks easy because dancers make everything look effortless. In reality, dancers have to remember to keep the shoulders down, have a strong neck, pretty fingers, pointed (or flexed) feet, strong arms, turn out legs, straight back, tucked in butt, and no arching unless told otherwise. Along with keeping your body in the right positions, we have to remember the next moves and the names for all of our moves. Unless you’ve taken french, knowing how to read and write the names of the dance moves is very difficult.

Anyone can dance

Yes anyone can dance, but it doesn’t mean they’re good at it. Typically, dancers are built up from the age of three and sometimes even younger. Almost every girl was in dance when I was younger and now there are around five girls from my original dance class. We learn the names, terms, and basic movements at young ages. Slowly, we build our way up to more difficult movements, but without the basics from that young age, dance will be even harder to catch onto.

Dance isn’t a sport

This is probably the most common thing a dancer hears. The hardcore dancers are the ones that get really upset and threaten to punch you. Can I just ask why you don’t think dance is a sport? We have practice more often than other sports, we condition, we work on basic skills, and we work towards our goals. Some will say that studio dance and ballet are works of art and I do agree with that, but if you’ve ever been to a dance competition and seen the way some teams act… Let’s just say that I don’t think a wrestler could win a fight with a dancer who just lost her first place trophy.

I wasn’t watching, do it again

This sentence will result in an immediate eye roll. Why should I have to do it again when it’s your fault you weren’t watching me.

Think of your dog dying or your dead grandparents

In order to get that good sad emotion on our faces we must think of sad things that have happened to us. Personally, when my dog or any dog dies I will break down in tears, not just have a sad look on my face.

Are you even that good?

I don’t know, you tell me.

Dance is boring to watch

Dancers think basketball is boring to watch. Everyone has their opinions, but I don’t want to hear yours.

How come you never want to hang out? You’re always at dance

Three words. Dance. Is. Life. Honestly, not even sorry about it.

Are you even flexible? or, How flexible are you?

Not that it should matter to you, but the answer is yes. This is just an annoying question most teenage boys will ask for God only knows what reason.

Only girls can dance

Actually, a lot of boys do dance. Not very many in our community, but in larger studios having a male dancer in not uncommon.

I saw you mess up

Thank you for telling me, but chances are if you saw me mess up I probably know I did. You telling me that you saw it won't make me feel better, so if you could keep my mistakes to yourself that’d be great. Only compliment my strengths.

One more time

This is the way a coach or instructor will try to build up your hopes only to crush them by making you do it five more times. These three words are painful to hear, after all the hard work you just want to be done for the day and go take a nap. If I had a nickel for every time I heard those three words I would be a millionaire.

Maybe you shouldn’t focus on dance so much

Maybe you shouldn’t focus on me focusing on dance so much. Dance is all my life is; it’s the only thing I know how to do.

Can you point your toes?

Yes, I can. Thank you for asking.