Mirror, Mirror on the wall…

“Mean girl” culture is a big thing in ballet, and it isn’t just for the girls; it is a real thing for the boys and both parents, too. In fact, I sometimes think that ballet dads can be worse than ballet moms! However, it does take a strong parent to take a step back and admit that their child might be the ballet school bully.

With invites to YAGP Finals going out, Nutcracker castings published, and Summer Course auditions about to happen, dancers and parents around the ballet world are going to start throwing around words like, “fair”, “unfair”, “biased”, “favorite,” and the like.  Or, even worse, jealousy is going to spark unhealthy competitiveness, and people will seek to belittle others’ accomplishments, or make excuses as to why their dancer did not receive this or that.

It seems petty, but during this time of the year, when we are supposed to full of holiday grace and spirit, these ballet life triggers can cause the worst of ballet behavior to magically appear. Read this great article from another blogger, and check both your and your dancer’s behavior this season!