Everybody needs a holiday, and dancers are no different. It is always something we look forward to, and I mean really look forward to. It’s a time when our bodies and minds can take a well-earned break and recuperate. We can let go and relax. We can forget about work, about dance for a week or two. And I have to tell you, it feels good.

It is so important that we give our bodies time to rest. We work them so much and push past pains that could be bothering us for a long time so a mid-season break could be just what we need to recover from our tough timetable. It is also quite refreshing to have some time away from the studio. Being inside the same four walls is not good for anyone, and the studio is a place dancers have to love. It is a place for hard work and creation, and for that to happen we don’t want to be climbing the walls but rather filling the place with our passion. Having time away can remind us how good it can be to come back.

During this holiday time, I was very lucky to have the chance to “recharge” myself while on an adventure with my husband half way across the world. We took a 15-hour flight and landed in Bali where we spent a restful week of relaxation and sight seeing. It was perfect. With lazy days reading books by the pool, heading out on a few excursion trips, a gym to keep my fitness up and a pool to get some swimming in. It was heavenly.

After a holiday like that, I returned to the theatre feeling refreshed and ready to work. It is always a good time after having a break for a dancer to come back to the studio and start from zero again. Of course, you won’t, not after only ten days off, but it is a chance to leave behind any bad habits and to start new good ones.

It may take a week or two to get the body feeling capable of the workload, and waking up each day more sore than the last for a while is the price you have to pay for letting go for a week. But it is all beneficial and the body and mind will thank you for it.

With love,

Harriet