So much is made about the beginnings of ballet careers, the rosebud, and then once the petals and leaves start falling off, is it beautiful anymore? Some people think it is; some people don't. The expectation is to focus on the very beautiful parts, not the ending.

Wendy Whelan

Categorized in : Ending People Beautiful Focus

We are constantly revealing ourselves to each other through our movement; learning from and teaching each other without even trying.

Wendy Whelan

ballet teaching trying

You have to decide when it is time to move on. I was dancing on Broadway for many years. Then everyone was either getting injured or retiring and I was dancing with younger dancers.

Wendy Whelan

dancing years moving

You have to decide when it is time to move on.

Wendy Whelan

time-to-move-on moving

I have a lot of energy, a lot of interest, a lot of desire.

Wendy Whelan

interest energy desire

I liked the structure of ballet.

Wendy Whelan

structure ballet

The moment is everything. Don't think about tomorrow; don't think about yesterday: think about exactly what you're doing right now and live it and dance it and breath it and be it.

Wendy Whelan

moment you tomorrow dance

Aging gracefully means being flexible, being open, allowing change, enjoying change and loving yourself.

Wendy Whelan

loving yourself aging change

I've always felt like a different kind of ballerina.

Wendy Whelan

like always different kind

I look back, and I have no regrets, truly. Everything led me to the place where I am now.

Wendy Whelan

i-am place look me

Certain people have certain ways of focusing on things, and some arrange their lens to a pinhole in order to focus only on their goal. Others have a giant lens, and they take in the whole panorama. I was that pinhole kind of person.

Wendy Whelan

person things focus people

Being a ballerina, you don't ever want to show yourself less than perfect, ever. That's what your goal is: 24/7 perfection.

Wendy Whelan

yourself you perfection perfect

I really only had one audition in my life, and that was when I was 14 or 15. When I was that young, I listened to what my teachers would say, like wearing a certain kind of leotard that you'll be noticed in.

Wendy Whelan

teachers my-life you life

I was so comfortable with my ballet power, my dancer power, that to have a voice, the comfort with having a voice, is slower to come to me.

Wendy Whelan

me voice power comfort

When you are a kid, you find so much comfort in dancing. I was comforted.

Wendy Whelan

find kid you comfort

I always looked at the process and the career of being a ballerina as sacred. It's a true gift to have this talent and perform these masterworks; it's sublime.

Wendy Whelan

true gift talent process

I feel the ticking clock. And at times, I've said if I don't dance, I'd rather die.

Wendy Whelan

die feel dance said

As I aged and I got stronger artistically, I really started to value my voice in performance - my 'voice' meaning my body, my technique, and my style. Then I started to really feel that flower as well. That's when I started to feel like, 'Wow - now I understand what my beauty is.'

Wendy Whelan

feel style flower beauty

I think the leotard for me became, after I retired, a sort of a symbol of the confines of still fitting into the ballet world in mind and body.

Wendy Whelan

think me mind world

My art form is my child, and that's what I give my focus to.

Wendy Whelan

give child focus art

I knew I wanted to be a ballet dancer, but what kind, I wasn't sure. My two dream companies had been New York City Ballet and American Ballet Theater.

Wendy Whelan

city new new-york dream