Ballet
Dear Frankie,
My older brothers are jocks. I have never liked sports, but I have always loved to dance. I have been taking ballet classes and performing for as long as I can remember.
A few weeks ago, I was wearing my dance tights and carrying my ballet shoes when I came home from class. A few of my brothers’ teammates were at the house. When they saw me, they started snickering and whispering to one another.
One of them asked my brother, “What’s with the tights and shoes? Is the kid a wimp?”
Do you think I’m a wimp, Frankie?
Stevie,
Dear Stevie,
Of course, you are not a wimp, Stevie. These boys are cultural neophytes and don’t know what they are barking about.
Unfortunately, they are not a rare breed. Some of the most revered and famous ballet dancers are men. If your brothers’ friends think ballet dancing is for wimps, let’s see them leap into the air six times across a stage and, between leaps, land in perfect form. These jocks have no idea how much strength, stamina, and ongoing practice it takes to be a dancer.
It’s great you are pursuing your passion. At your next performance, break a leg. That’s a human expression for good luck.
Best, Frankie
© 2023 Geneva Woodruff
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