Comments on: Your own best critic http://www.behindballet.com/your-own-best-critic/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=your-own-best-critic The blog of The Australian Ballet Thu, 09 Feb 2012 00:37:05 +0000 hourly 1 By: Livtodance http://www.behindballet.com/your-own-best-critic/comment-page-1/#comment-12807 Livtodance Thu, 09 Sep 2010 05:23:15 +0000 http://www.behindballet.com/?p=2024#comment-12807 This post is very true I would have to agree with everything you have written :) This post is very true I would have to agree with everything you have written :)

]]> By: Juliet Burnett http://www.behindballet.com/your-own-best-critic/comment-page-1/#comment-744 Juliet Burnett Sun, 23 Aug 2009 23:16:39 +0000 http://www.behindballet.com/?p=2024#comment-744 Sophie, I didn't imply that an academic isn't a perfectionist or isn't creative. My mother-in-law is an academic and I would never label her as such- quite the opposite! I also have several friends who are academics and they are all intelligent and creative people. I said: <em>"after months or even years of preparation and research, you can edit and print out and hand in a final product, all perfected and to your satisfaction."</em> The reason I gave this example was to compare the completion of a thesis as something that you can work on and have a tangible final product, as opposed to a dancer's constant striving for the end product, which, as I aimed to illustrate, does not exist, at least tangibly. I also never said that ballet is the only career in which perfectionism and self-criticism exists. I only said that the nature of live performance, whether it's ballet or theatre or music (my husband is a solo music artist so I am very aware of this!), is such that these things seem to become magnified in the frustration with the lack of this tangible final product, giving one a sense of closure. I hope you will re-read my article, appreciate the context in which the academic example and live performance example was used, and understand my intention. Sophie, I didn’t imply that an academic isn’t a perfectionist or isn’t creative. My mother-in-law is an academic and I would never label her as such- quite the opposite! I also have several friends who are academics and they are all intelligent and creative people.

I said: “after months or even years of preparation and research, you can edit and print out and hand in a final product, all perfected and to your satisfaction.”

The reason I gave this example was to compare the completion of a thesis as something that you can work on and have a tangible final product, as opposed to a dancer’s constant striving for the end product, which, as I aimed to illustrate, does not exist, at least tangibly.

I also never said that ballet is the only career in which perfectionism and self-criticism exists. I only said that the nature of live performance, whether it’s ballet or theatre or music (my husband is a solo music artist so I am very aware of this!), is such that these things seem to become magnified in the frustration with the lack of this tangible final product, giving one a sense of closure.

I hope you will re-read my article, appreciate the context in which the academic example and live performance example was used, and understand my intention.

]]> By: Juliet Burnett http://www.behindballet.com/your-own-best-critic/comment-page-1/#comment-743 Juliet Burnett Sun, 23 Aug 2009 23:15:30 +0000 http://www.behindballet.com/?p=2024#comment-743 Thank you Catya! We do lead pretty unusual lives so it's wonderful for me to have an outlet to reflect on the extraordinary and ordinary quirks of the ballet world and for our audience to gain an insight into it. I really enjoy sharing my stories with you, and there's plenty more to come! Thank you Catya! We do lead pretty unusual lives so it’s wonderful for me to have an outlet to reflect on the extraordinary and ordinary quirks of the ballet world and for our audience to gain an insight into it. I really enjoy sharing my stories with you, and there’s plenty more to come!

]]> By: Sophie http://www.behindballet.com/your-own-best-critic/comment-page-1/#comment-703 Sophie Fri, 21 Aug 2009 00:59:31 +0000 http://www.behindballet.com/?p=2024#comment-703 I resent the implication that an academic is neither a perfectionist with regard to his/her work, or a creative. In fact, I would say, that the end performance following months of rehearsal is exactly like a thesis. I have no doubt that ballet is gruelling, but there are many occupations wherein the pressure placed on oneself is no less immense and the individual remains heavily self deprecating. Ballet is not the sole occupation in this category. I resent the implication that an academic is neither a perfectionist with regard to his/her work, or a creative. In fact, I would say, that the end performance following months of rehearsal is exactly like a thesis. I have no doubt that ballet is gruelling, but there are many occupations wherein the pressure placed on oneself is no less immense and the individual remains heavily self deprecating. Ballet is not the sole occupation in this category.

]]> By: Catya http://www.behindballet.com/your-own-best-critic/comment-page-1/#comment-696 Catya Thu, 20 Aug 2009 14:17:24 +0000 http://www.behindballet.com/?p=2024#comment-696 This was a wonderful read. BehindBallet lets people who sit in the audience get a glimpse of what life must be like as a dancer (for all we see is the aesthetic beauty) and this particular entry does that extremely well. Thanks for taking the time to write this. This was a wonderful read. BehindBallet lets people who sit in the audience get a glimpse of what life must be like as a dancer (for all we see is the aesthetic beauty) and this particular entry does that extremely well. Thanks for taking the time to write this.

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