Welcome to Barre None, my new video blog exclusively on Huffington Post. I'm Sara Mearns and I hope to be your tour guide into the world of classical ballet. You might ask yourself, "Why a video blog that goes behind the scenes of a classical ballet dancer's daily life?" Because what you see on the stage does not begin to capture what ballet or our lives are all about. You see the performance, but what you don't see -- the rehearsals, the costume designs, the frazzled nerves, the learning of a new ballet, the constant travels around the world, the injuries and the oftentimes long, painful road to recovery that lead us to wonder if this is the injury that can end a career -- it's all a part of what we do and who we are.
I'm only one dancer, but I hope that by giving you a window into my life as a principal ballerina at New York City Ballet, a door will be opened to more interest, curiosity, and enthusiasm for this artform that I, and so many others, love and work so hard for. So come on in, pull up a seat, and join me every Friday. You'll have a great time. I promise. Barre None.
Home...Where is that?
There are two places where I think and figure things out the best - airplanes and the shower. I'm currently sitting on an airplane flying to South Carolina to perform tomorrow night for my friends and family, but you will hear more about that next week.
Since returning to New York a week ago, I've found it hard to adjust back into my routine. Denmark was such a breath of fresh air in every way that I'm feeling confined and cluttered in New York. I never thought I would be unsettled or uncomfortable in my home. I am in unfamiliar territory. This just reminds me that life is unexpected and can throw you for a loop when you aren't prepared.
It's hard for me not to go into too much detail but for some reason, floating over the clouds right now reminds me that life is as complicated as you make it. This is a work in progress for me and from what I hear from the older and wiser, it will be till the day I pass on. Hopefully soon, I will feel "at home" again in my home and the dust storm that has started will settle.
On that note, I did see and experience some incredible moments this past week, one of them being part of a panel for an injury prevention seminar. I got to meet lots of aspiring ballerinas and their parents, and share my story about how my injuries have changed my life in a way I will never regret. When I was done talking, I had students, parents, and their teachers in tears. I was able to share how I struggled emotionally and physically through my injuries but still came back stronger and happier than ever before. To quote one of my favorite artists, Pink, turn "life's darkest moments into something lighter and more understandable."
Sometimes, the light at the end of the tunnel during recovery is so grim that people get stuck and almost lose themselves. Having been there, and coming out on the other side, I can tell you that if you trust your body and never lose sight of how blessed you are to have been given this gift of expression, nothing will stop you from recovering and reaching heights you didn't know possible. The time off will allow you to discover more than you probably care to know about yourself and use it to your advantage in becoming the best artist, athlete, human being you can be.
The guiding light for me was music. I let the beauty of classical music take me to darkness and tears but then sweep me off my feet to what seemed like the gates of heaven. It brought me back to myself and to the joy of dancing again. Whether it was a class pianiston Saturday morning or the New York Philharmonic, it didn't allow me to "jump off a cliff " without a chance of survival.
Ok, so I'm getting pretty deep here, I know. But life calls for that sometimes and when it comes to my life as an artist, there is no other way than to be the most passionate human being I can be. I hope I can continue sharing my story and inspiring both the young and old to live passionately because we only have this moment and we must not take it for granted.
Now find out 10 things about me, things my fans and supporters wanted to know...watch above!
Check out last week's video blog here.
You can find Sara Mearns on twitter here: @nycbstar2b.