I can't tell the future, I only work there.

publicschoolratherthanslytherin asked: I'm a very tall fat person who has always been sporadically athletic with very strong legs. I've been working on my toe point and strengthening/increasing flexibility in my feet, toes, and ankles. I want the full experience, the discipline, the art, the athletic grace. Assuming one has reasonable expectations, is it ever too late to begin ballet as an adult? Any warning signs for selecting a studio/instructor? Thank you for every post that you share.

So I’m late in replying to this. Like REALLY late.  BUT! I REALLY want to answer you, since it’s something I think it important and something I’m really passionate about.

It is never too late to begin ballet. NEVER.

I wouldn’t go into it expecting to dance in the NYCB any time soon, but for yourself? Go for it. This is all for you, all about you, and something that is entirely yours to enjoy and develop. 

As for warning signs: 

• if anyone so much as starts to give you attitude about being different somehow, body type, not a “typical ballerina look” walk out the door. You are there as an adult student, not to become a professional ballerina. In this economy, they need you more than you need them. 
• Look for a teacher that actually teaches class, instead of just giving it. Someone who gives good corrections, both general and individual. Ideally a teacher should give at least one or two corrections to each student throughout the class, as well as general corrections for everyone. But don’t panic if you don’t get corrections right away, a lot of the time teachers like to watch a new student for their first few classes to see where they’re at and what issues to begin focusing on for them. 
• Ideally, a teacher should care about the progress of ALL their students, from pre-ballet, to recreational kids, to pre pro dancers, to adult beginning dancers and beyond. 
• Don’t let the look of a place fool you. As an adult, I’ve danced everywhere from classes at big companies to a little hole in the wall place that MAYBE had a total of 30 students. Guess which one got me to the peak of my dancing ability? Size isn’t everything. Beautiful spacious studios aren’t everything. You want to make sure the floors are properly sprung to dance on, and that it’s  a safe space (i.e. not overcrowded, enough room to dance in, or that they handle crowded classes properly and it’s not a free for all) 
• That said, IF you can find a school that’s associated with a company or is a pre-pro school that offers adult ballet classes AND does all of the above, you’ve found the perfect spot. 
• Don’t be afraid to go to more than one studio at once. A lot of places only offer a few classes per week or may not have a variety of classes for adults. Do what you need to do to meet your needs.
• At the end of the day, this is for you. Don’t stay anywhere that doesn’t make you happy. When you find the place that feels like your dance home, you will know. 

Anonymous asked: Actually your doctor might not be as full of it as you think. Having large boobs can somewhat pull your back out of alignment, which causes you to compensate by pulling your neck into an unnatural position (regardless of the type of bra you wear). Lots of my friends have had that same issue. Of course, if your pain is severe and your doctor hasn't run tests for other issues, I think you should insist that he do so before taking him seriously.

This is true. I would agree, but I already have a diagnosis of ruptured disks, which would pretty much explain those symptoms. 

My main issue was that he waffled between wanting to call it a complex migraine (I had some migraine symptoms, but obviously was there for other reasons too!), and “that’s where heavy girls hurt”. So yes, we did get into the whole fat shaming thing too. And he doesn’t seem very interested in searching further. Along with telling me it was ok to take up to 6 Imitrex a day, every day, and to take it as a migraine prophylaxis if I wanted… yeah. My faith in him (such as it was) is dwindling the more I think about it. 

ladybrun:

the fact that men are more likely to abandon their female partners when they’re seriously medically ill is the most disgusting indicator that we are living in a patriarchy that devalues women to a point where men say “this ones broken i need to drop her/get a new one”

So I present to you, how my doctor must think female anatomy works. 

 My pain is in the back of my head and my cervical spine. I don’t think even the pushiest of push up bras could quite get me to that level. 

[[seductively does nothing to indicate I’m attracted to you]]

(Source: sardonicheight)