Results of a recent study published in the journal Psychological Bulletin found that millennials are the generation most predisposed to perfectionism. Factor in a serious study of ballet—constantly critiquing your movements in the mirror and dealing with strict instructors and talented competition—and you've only upped the ante.

So why is the present generation at risk of falling into the perfectionist trap? The study pinpoints increasing competitiveness, pressure to find high-paying jobs and heavy social media usage as possible reasons. While striving for excellence is a well-intentioned goal, if that behavior turns obsessive, it can be detrimental to your well-being and overall enjoyment of dance. Here's how to avoid three common pitfalls of perfectionism:

Set Incremental Goals for Yourself


Instead of comparing your achievements to other dancers'

Try channeling that energy into smaller-scale goals you set for yourself, like adding another revolution to your pirouettes.

Trade Screen Time for Face Time


Instead of using free time to gush over seemingly perfect dancers on Instagram

Try limiting your daily social media usage. Spend some of that time connecting with your friends face-to-face, outside of the studio.

Recognize Your Own Achievements


Instead of telling yourself you're not as talented as everyone else

Try recognizing personal accomplishments and allowing yourself to feel proud.

Summer Intensive Survival
Getty Images

There's a sweet spot toward the end of August—after summer intensives have wrapped up and before it's time to head back to school or work—where the days are long, lazy and begging to be spent neck-deep in a pile of good books. Whether you're looking for inspiration for the upcoming season or trying to brush up on your dance history, you can never go wrong with an excellent book on ballet. We've gathered eight titles (all available at common booksellers like Amazon and Barnes and Noble) guaranteed to give you a deeper understanding of the art form, to add to your end-of-summer reading list.

Keep reading... Show less
Site Network
James Yoichi Moore and Noelani Pantastico warm up onstage. Angela Sterling, Courtesy SDC.

On a sunny July weekend, hundreds of Seattle-area dance fans converged on tiny Vashon Island, a bucolic enclave in Puget Sound about 20 miles from the city. They made the ferry trek to attend the debut performance of the fledgling Seattle Dance Collective.

SDC is not a run-of-the-mill contemporary dance company; it's the brainchild of two of Pacific Northwest Ballet's most respected principal dancers: James Yoichi Moore and Noelani Pantastico. The duo wanted to create a nimble organization to feature dancers and choreographers they felt needed more exposure in the Pacific Northwest.

Keep reading... Show less
Roman Mejia in Robbins' Dances at a Gathering. Erin Baiano, Courtesy NYCB.

The Princess Grace Foundation has just announced its 2019 class, and we're thrilled that two ballet dancers—New York City Ballet's Roman Mejia and BalletX's Stanley Glover—are included among the list of über-talented actors, filmmakers, playwrights, dancers and choreographers.

Keep reading... Show less
The Royal Ballet's Alexander Campbell and Yasmine Naghdi in Ashton's The Two Pigeons. Tristram Kenton, Courtesy ROH.

While most ballet casts are 100 percent human, it's not unheard of for live animals to appear onstage, providing everything from stage dressing to supporting roles. Michael Messerer's production of Don Quixote features a horse and a donkey; American Ballet Theatre's Giselle calls for two Russian wolfhounds; and Sir Frederick Ashton's La Fille Mal Gardee requires a white Shetland pony. Another Ashton masterpiece, The Two Pigeons, is well known for its animal actors. But though ballet is a highly disciplined, carefully choreographed art form, some performers are naturally more prone to flights of fancy—because they're birds.

Keep reading... Show less