I do_I am_

I made a glass tutu not because I think ballet represents all dance or because it’s superior, but I made a tutu strictly because of its recognizability to the masses. Dancers know what the true underbelly of ballet is.

I want to show my immense appreciation for all the dancers and performers out there. Making this tutu out of glass put me in danger many times, and when I presented it, it was a “cute tutu” to many people. And that’s a great metaphor for dance. You risk a lot (if not everything) and show so much of yourself (if not everything) to strangers who see little to none of the process. Your work matters.

Many people see beautiful, ethereal weightlessness when they see ballet. When dancers experience ballet, they think of a long history of prostitution, racism, starvation, drug abuse, misogyny, and abuses of power. Ballet was an escape from the realities of war, but to dancers, ballet is war.

I walk around the product of intense dance training. Whether I’m “dancing” or not, I exist as a person who derives a lot of my self-worth from my physicality. I had amazing teachers and mentors, but constantly wondering how you look to others and constantly trying to please others takes its toll.

I send my love out to all the performers who work every day to heal and love themselves.