Poem – Dancing on through Dirt and the Rain

 

Ballet dancers, poised and refined,

Trying to break free, to redefine,

Their art, their moves, their very soul,

With modern choreographers in control.

 

But the rehearsal space was not complete,

Dirt, grime, and dust were under their feet,

Crawling on the ground, all sweaty,

Leaving them with rug rash, in their “Betty”.

 

The constant heat, with no air to cool,

Creating discomfort, and facing ridicule,

Combination of grit and grime,

Getting under their leotards, every time.

 

Rolling on the floor, covered in sand,

Bodies slick with sweat, from ridiculous demands,

They pushed through the misery and pain,

They continued to dance, trying to sustain.

 

But every day, the same problem arose,

Prickly heat, in all the wrong places, it chose,

Every day reminded them of their plight,

And yet, they danced on, with all their might.

 

For ballet dancers are made of stern stuff,

This day, their passion for dance, was not enough,

Never-the-less, they pushed through the pain,

And danced on, in sun, or in the rain.

~Suzanne Wagner~