My struggle with the โ€œbad sideโ€ began as early as I started working on my splits as a 6-year-old kid. I remember noticing how the right leg always felt more flexible, while the left was tighter and stiffer. I also remember how I loved easing into that right split, making it seem easy and natural, while I was neglecting the other leg, just because it wasnโ€™t as good.

The situation got worse as ballet training became more serious and intense: I quickly got to meet my bad foot, my bad arm, my bad supporting side, my bad balancing leg and last but not least: my bad pirouettes side. I was convinced that everything I labeled as โ€œbadโ€ could never improve since it was simply bad.

I developed a strong fear that prevented me from enjoying ballet classes and, even if I knew that this mindset was, for sure, not going to help me succeed, I did not know what to do. I was experiencing anxiety and shame whenever I was asked to show pirouettes to the left, balances on the right leg, multiple relevรฉs on the left foot and so on.

Instead of wanting to work on my weaknesses I was neglecting them and hiding them. At the same time, I also knew I was not improving and I was very frustrated. Being negative was seriously holding me back.

After a talk with one of my teachers, I realized that what we define as โ€œbad sideโ€ is nothing more than the side that needs more focus. And, at times, it turns out that our โ€œbad sideโ€ is the result of a compensation for another part of our body that is not doing its work. This reminded me to think of movement as a whole and not just one body part, one of the anatomy principles for a dancer.

Switching from a negative to a positive mindset immediately started to provide results. Turns to the left? Let me concentrate: โ€œif I can do it to the right, I can do it to the other side as well!โ€ Finding balance on both sides? Let me transfer the sensation I have on the left to the right and there I am!

All it took was giving a new name to the โ€œbad sideโ€. Whenever I tell myself โ€œthis is the side that needs more attentionโ€ I am driven to put more effort and more focus into it, instead of beating myself up after a single mindless try.

Following this piece of advice allowed me to overcome some of the obstacles I was facing in my dancing. It also gave me a boost of confidence and faith. I like to use the same strategy whenever I am letting negative thoughts take over by turning them into something positive and encouraging. It works!