03 Jan A Day in the Life of a Pre-Professional Ballet Dancer
It’s been so long, but I’m back! One of my New Year’s Resolutions is to post more on my blog, so here I am with blog post ideas bubbling out of me! The first one I thought I’d start with is a “Day in the Life of” because it’s the new year, and it’s audition season. During audition season is when you really need order, because everything else can seem very out of order, or chaotic. So I have separated my day into 3 parts: morning, day, and night because I feel that those parts of my day are very different and have a few variables that I mix and match with to make my day as productive as possible.
I am a morning person and love mornings to myself. I usually wake up at 6AM (sometimes earlier if I want to go to the gym before my day), and get some coffee. I don’t need to wake up this early, but sometimes the morning is the only time I can work on my 2 other jobs as a social media marketer. So, I make my coffee and make a really big breakfast. I don’t get to eat a lot until later than noon, so getting something that will last me through my first few dance classes is really important. Typically, it’s eggs with tons of veggies, and a banana. I also drink one glass of orange juice with a packet of Emergen C in it. I swear by this because I’m one of the only pre-pros who hasn’t gotten sick this year, and I think it’s all due to that. So after I eat, I do my online work, pack a lunch and snacks, and pack dance clothes, I leave for work. I work at a daycare, and usually start around 7:30/8. Everyday there is different, so sometimes I’m needed earlier. I love starting my day by being with kids. It usually wakes me up, and because kids make me so happy, I come into ballet with a joyful attitude!
After work, I go to class! All my classes start at 9:30, so I get there around 9. I change into my uniform, and get my hair done as quickly as possible so I can warm up. Everyday is different, so I’ll use Monday’s schedule as an example. The day goes from 9:30-4:30. We start with yoga, which is perfect for a Monday. Then we have 15 minutes before technique class, which is 1 hour and 45 minutes long. After technique, we have lunch for an hour. On Mondays, I usually relax, but on other days, I’ll work on audition videos during lunch. After lunch, we have 1 hour of pointe. It’s short enough that it doesn’t tire you out, but long enough to warm you up for rehearsal. Lastly, we have rehearsal for whichever piece we are working on with the choreographer. This rehearsal is our longest one, and is 2 hours. I love Mondays because of all the teachers we have and how long our rehearsals are. I feel like we get a lot done on Mondays. After classes, I get back into my work clothes and go back to work at the daycare. My position is called “floater”, so I can be asked to go into any room and be with any age group. I love it, because I like being with all the kids, and I get to see all of them in one day!
At night, I have a few things that I can do, but only choose one or two things to do to create maximum productivity. Sometimes, I will schedule an Instacart session, where I will go grocery shopping for other people and deliver it to their houses. It’s an easy way to get a little cash, and I like it because it’s some of my only alone time in the day, but I’m still being productive. Sometimes, if it’s been a very long day, I will go home, take a bath, have a nice warm meal for dinner, and go to sleep early. And the other thing I will do is go home, and work more on my other two jobs as a social media marketer! Again, those jobs are really nice because it gives me alone time with productivity. But most of all, after 9:30, I am in bed getting ready to sleep. Sleep is so important for dancers and for people who are gone 13 hours a day (like me!). I always try to get 8 hours of sleep AT LEAST, on the weekdays. On the weekends, I will stay up a little later, but I don’t set an alarm.
What’s your daily routine? Also, I will be doing a Q&A fairly soon, so get your questions in fast by either Instagram (@journeytoballet), Twitter (@journeytoballet), Facebook (Reagan Kilpatrick), or email me at journeytoballet@gmail.com! You can also see my youtube video about a day in the life of here! I go a little more in detail about it. Thank you all for following my blog, my story, and my journey!
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