DanceSupplies Ambassador Addy Nicholson is a professional ballerina, currently dancing with New Ballet of San Jose.
“Between Final Bows”
As all my fellow ballerinas know, we’re nearing the end of the season. Bodies are tired, auditions are wrapping up, rent is due, everything smells like hairspray, and bobby pins somehow end up everywhere — including my kitchen sink. There’s a specific kind of chaos that fills this time of year, a mix of relief, anticipation, and the quiet ache of knowing another chapter is closing.
I’m honored to share with you a day in the life of a professional ballerina, and I wanted to add my own twist by weaving in a guide on how to prepare your body and mind for the transition from the end of season into summer. Most of us either have the summer off, head to intensives, or take on guestings. It all becomes a blur — trying to keep training while also giving yourself the rest you desperately need after the whirlwind you just survived.
One of the biggest misconceptions is that dancers either take the whole summer off and assume everything will be fine when they return — only to end up injured — or, and I’m guilty of this one, we don’t give ourselves the proper time to recover at all. We push through, and suddenly the “break” wasn’t a break. The truth is, neither extreme works. The key is finding a balance that works for you.
We’re told constantly that every dancer is different — and that applies just as much to how you treat your body outside the studio. Some dancers need a full reset. Others need to keep moving. I’ve learned that the sweet spot is doing both, intentionally. Plan out your goals. Decide what you want your summer to look like. What matters most is not burning yourself out, but keeping the spark alive just enough so you feel eager to return fully.
A typical off‑season day for me looks like this: morning class, then either rehearsal for a guesting or a pointe class. A break. Gym. Teaching. And then — I rest. Rest is not laziness; it’s strategy. It’s the quiet work that allows the loud work to happen later.
Of course, life happens. Families want to travel. Friends come into town. I’ve learned it’s best to let yourself be a human outside of ballet when this happens. Give yourself permission to exist beyond the studio. It actually reignites your desire for dance, because you learn whether ballet is what gives your body life — or what drains it.
So many of us get so focused on the path to success that we forget success sometimes requires stillness. Observation. Doing nothing and letting your body and mind recalibrate. A close friend of mine always tells me in class, “Think nothing.” Every time, it clicks. When you think nothing, you notice everything — the little joys, the softness, the lightness that gets lost when we take ourselves too seriously.
Maybe that’s the real lesson between final bows: learning to let go just enough to fall back in love with the thing that made you dance in the first place.
Addy Nicholson
New Ballet of San Jose
@addyjean_ballerina