On the surface, the idea of dating a dancer is extremely appealing to a lot of people. We're passionate, driven, and have a love for all things related to the arts. But we are also so much more than that, and those great qualities of ours often drive the people we date crazy. For anyone who is currently dating or wanting to date a girl who dances, this is for you.
When you're dating a dancer, you're dating somebody who is so passionate about what she does. This is absolutely incredible to witness, especially in performance, but it is also something that can be difficult for non-dancers to understand. Our passion for dance outweighs a lot of other things, meaning that you will often get an apologetic call or text saying that plans need to be changed because "I have rehearsal." It's nothing personal, but dance was there for us before you were, and should things go south with the relationship, dance will still be there for us when you are not. We genuinely feel bad when we have to cancel plans, and most of the time it's not our faults when schedules change, so please be patient with us.
Our drive is another positive quality that can make a relationship a little difficult at times. We have big dreams, some of them a little out of reach, but nothing will stop us from achieving those big dreams no matter how insane they may seem. The worst thing you could do to us is to tell us to think realistically. Trust me, we know how hard it is to really make it in the dance world. That doesn't mean that we need you to remind us of this fact! The best thing you can do for us is support us in our endeavor to reaching our dreams.
One of the worst things you can do when dating a dancer is to make light of what we do and who we are. No, it's really not funny when you mock ballet or talk about how "silly" you think dance is. That is a surefire way to get yourself kicked to the curb. Another thing that is completely rude (in general, but especially to dancers) is to make negative comments about what we eat. I don't need you making jokes when we go out and I order a burger because you thought "dancers only eat salads"! Dance is hard enough on our minds and bodies. I mean, we spend hours daily looking at ourselves in a mirror wearing a leotard and tights. We don't need you to make these comments.
Sometimes, we get cranky—a cast list didn't go as we expected, we had eight hours of rehearsals, or our new shoes gave us massive blisters. We just want to come home, binge watch something on Netflix, and eat everything in sight. The best thing you can do for us is be there. We'll notice, and we'll appreciate it.
I don't want this article to discourage anyone from dating a dancer. On the contrary, I think if you treat us well, we can be one of the best girlfriends you've ever had. Just please, be patient with us. It will be pay off because we will put in an equal amount of effort into the relationship that we do with dance.
