Ballerinas doing the Dab? And 4 other things that will surprise you about Charlotte Ballet
Think being a ballerina is all about tutus and satin slippers? As the Charlotte Ballet rehearses for seasonal favorite “Nutcracker” (opening at the Blumenthal Dec. 10 and running through the 23rd), they’ve given us a glimpse behind the grace.
Here are five things that might surprise you about the life of a professional dancer:
It’s a full time job
Dancing all day sounds like a blast to us, and it is — but these dancers aren’t out there to just shake it. They’re full-time professionals whose career goal is to dance at the highest levels. Yeah, none of these moves is in my repertoire:
A video posted by Charlotte Ballet (@cltballet) on Nov 22, 2015 at 3:50pm PST
They’re Charlotteans
Charlotte Ballet’s dancers come from all around the world to dance here in Charlotte. The live here in the city — and you might just run into them at Trader Joe’s or having coffee at Amelie’s or doing beer yoga.
Our #squad is out in full force for OMB Yoga on Tap (and having an @oldemeckbrew beer) #charlotteballet #cltbeer pic.twitter.com/b2qWTA0rRn — Charlotte Ballet (@CLTballet) September 15, 2015
They do the Dab!
Yes, ballet is a serious art form. But that doesn’t mean ballet dancers are stuffy. These Millennials don’t take themselves too seriously. Case in point:
Some even have kids
How cool would it be to see Mom or Dad dance in “Nutcracker?” Sometimes they even get to participate. So cute:
A video posted by Charlotte Ballet (@cltballet) on Dec 3, 2015 at 7:10am PST
They eat – ALL DAY!
Most of us sit at a desk for 8 hours. Professional dancers are dancing for that long – and longer. Plus they typically cross train after work. That’s a lot of calories! There’s the misconception that dancers are wasting away to fit a body-type but truly it’s about keeping up with how many calories they’re burning!
#Halloween make your own trail mix party is going down pic.twitter.com/ZjWeb9q1oU — Charlotte Ballet (@CLTballet) October 30, 2015
Nutcracker: Tickets available here, start at $25. Show opens Dec. 10 and runs through Dec. 23.
Photo by Diedra Laird/Charlotte Observer
This story was originally published December 6, 2015 at 8:16 PM.