Ask Colin – professional practice

Dear Colin,
How long does a professional dancer dance for each day?
Amelia, age 13

Dear Amelia,
Professional dancers work harder than most people understand. The Australian Ballet, for instance, presents eleven to twelve different productions each year spread over 180 performances. Each of those productions has to be learnt, rehearsed and then perfected before they are performed, which gives some idea of how much time is entailed.

A dancer’s average rehearsal day always starts with a training class, plus rehearsals scheduled for an eight hour day. A performance day also starts with a training class followed by rehearsal lasting four hours, then a short break before the dancer warms up before appearing in the evening performance, making a seven-and-a-half hour day spread over twelve hours. Add to these dancing hours, publicity calls, costume fittings, massage and physiotherapy sessions and you can understand why dancers need to be dedicated. The upside to all this time-consuming hard work is the fact that dancers are blessed by being able to earn their living by doing something they truly love, which makes it all seem like fun rather than work.

Best wishes,
Colin

You can email your ballet questions to Colin at hello@behindballet.com

Image: Artists of The Australian Ballet take class at The Sydney Opera House.
Photography David Kelly