For over a month, I’ve faced the misfortune of having to work remotely. If you know me, you know I love going into the office and being close to everyone. So this has been quite the setback, in both morale and productivity, and one that I am just now getting over.
But one positive is that during this slow season, I have started to take the mid-day ballet class, in the company of professional dancers. And it's true—simply being in the presence of those at the peak of their craft really does shift your world view a little. More so, I think, when you get the chance to observe them offstage as they train and practice.
During class, you can’t help but watch. Even with no audience, no lights, no stage— just a studio and mirror, these dancers are still performing. The best carry their own spotlight with them, transforming an ordinary class into a performance. Each sequence across the floor becomes an act of athletic and artistic expression. Every movement is carried out with full intention, every movement is a chance to perform. It is this sense of respect that one has towards themselves and their work which divides the elite dancer from the novice, the force which elevates labor into craft.
And through watching, I can feel my own barometer of excellence recalibrating. I am reminded that pursuit of excellence is a commitment that you make no matter where you are— a timely lesson as I push through my own set of challenges at work.