Shifting Focus: The "Yes's" and "No's"
As the calendar transitions to a new year, BBT's 40th Anniversary Blog will continue highlighting community members' memories and experiences from 1981 to 2021. The Blog will also look ahead to BBT's next steps, which will take the organization forward from 2021 to 2061. We begin this month with a letter from our School Director, Liz Farotte Heenan.
As a young dancer, I was given the advice that, in ballet, you will encounter far more “no’s” than “yes’s.” I wish I could remember who offered this valuable insight as it is really more of a fact than a suggestion. I’ve taken it with me through the years, and it has provided comfort through many “no’s,” a perspective on how to handle difficult feedback, as well as how to move forward. Even greatly admired dancers and inspiring teachers have felt defeated. It is hard to imagine anyone critiquing their work, but the “no’s” that they pushed beyond is a testament to the mental toughness and emotional training that is required of dancers.
At BBT, we work very hard to continue the founding mission of BBT, and Ms. Sally’s teaching philosophy for BBT to be a place where access to rigorous training is available to everyone and the studios are a place where all can dance. We work to create more “yes’s” than “no’s.” That doesn’t mean the “no’s” don’t hurt when they do or must arrive.
No to a Level promotion. No to a desired role. Falling out of a turn. These “no’s” can make you question yourself and even doubt your teacher’s faith in you. In reality, the opposite is true. A “no” gives you the chance to improve and, coming from a teacher, is most often an act of love. A “no” at this moment is not a comment on your future potential or a lack of belief in you. It is proof that you and your teacher are committed to ensuring success in your current syllabus. It may also lead to an unexpected, exciting “yes” in the future.
Keep in mind that dancers only need one, yes. It is nice to have options, but you don’t need to be accepted into dozens of summer intensives, college programs, or have unlimited class schedule options. You need a “yes” from programs that take an interest in you, provide you with a new perspective on your artistry, and propel your dancing forward. When auditioning for your first professional job, you only need one offer to get your foot in the door! Focus on the right opportunity rather than the number of acceptance letters piled on your table. When you do not receive the “yes” you were hoping for, it is an ideal time to reflect but not obsess. Accept and appreciate the characteristics you cannot change about yourself that make you who you are, and observe the qualities of the dancers who were accepted and explore incorporating them into your own work. I’m sure other dancers are learning from you as well!
It has been remarkable to witness the examination and advocacy on the part of BBT’s dancers and families throughout this past year. Families weighing difficult choices in how to proceed, especially when online study was not working for their dancers. As parents/guardians the many choices and day-to-day work we engage in to keep our family lives in order is no easy task. The families who made the choice to pause their dancers’ study made as equally admirable a decision as those who have stayed on Zoom as all families have said “yes” to their dancers’ mental well being and continued love of this art form.
2020 was definitely full of “no’s” that the BBT community examined and turned into “yes’s.” Through smoke, masks, and Zoom, the BBT community has rallied. We’ve proven the foundation and resilience built over the past 40 years will carry us into 2021, to a time when we can all return to the studios. In the meantime, the commitment and resilience demonstrated by the dancers, families, Faculty, and Staff have been a remarkably strong “yes” and the ultimate crash course in the mental and emotional toughness that allows dancers to thrive!
Liz Farotte Heenan with BBT’s Youth Division dancers, photo by Natalia Perez