The life of a Dancer is indeed very interesting. It is also hard, difficult, painful, fun and sometimes even very frustrating. There is just so much to tell; but let's just pick one topic for now. How would you like to know about what a Dancer has to think about when he goes to audition for a Ballet Company?! Where he stands, and whether he meets the standards of a Company he would like to join. A Dancer with average technique cannot expect to dance for a major classical Company like the "Paris Opera" or "The English National Ballet". Therefore he has to really analyze himself and think about how good he really is. He also needs to think about what style he would like to dance.

What suits the specific person best? Is it classical Ballet, modern Dance, jazz Dance or contemporary work? Every style is interesting. But what style suits the Dancer best? If the Dancer is still a student, it is best if he talks to his teacher about this matter. He can also gather information from professional Dancers that are taking classes with the school. He can also travel around and gather information by watching performances of a Company. There are also many Dance Magazines that may help to get some information about specific Companies, like what repertoire they perform, what type of a Company they are, how long their season is, what their basic salary is and many other pieces of interesting information.

Once the Dancer has finally decided what Company he would like to dance for and what Company suits him best, he has to decide where he would like to live. Not necessarily will his dream Company be in his home town, but it might be most likely that the Company will be in another city. Not only might it be in another city to dance for the Company he has chosen. This subject makes it very interesting for the Dancer, he has the opportunity to live in another place. The question is just, is he willing to do so? Is he very attached to home and his parents? Is he afraid of living in another country with different culture and language? Is he worried about leaving friends behind? Is he worried about starting from scratch, and many other things he has to ask himself.

In my opinion this is a wonderful and an incredible opportunity for a Dancer. I was always very open-minded towards new experiences, but yet everybody is different. Throughout my career I have seen all different kind of situations. I have to say, the Dancers that have traveled the world are more open-minded and wiser people towards life, culture and Dance.

Gabriel Otevrel
Dancer, Boston Ballet Company