Have you ever thought of ballet? Ever thought of the person on the stage? Ever thought what’s behind the elegance of the ballerina? Perhaps not, perhaps you think you know everything.

If I were to talk about my own experience, it might not be as flabbergasting as you think, but it’s something. We hold an annual ballet show, which personally, I really enjoy. However, at the same time it’s hard work. We would start working 6mths before the show, so we could make it better than perfect. You see it was the detail that made it really difficult. And I can’t say we didn’t work hard cuz we really did. But once it came to the actual thing, it was like a dream come true. 

Some people may think that ballet is just a sport people do for fun, but no, it’s a commitment, a commitment that we can’t break. Us ballet dancers work hard to achieve our future, and we work harder than a lot of you would expect. 

 I might not be like some of those famous ballerinas, but I know what it’s like for them to be able to make it at such a high level. They work every hour of the day, they perfect every un-pointed toe, they polish every misplaced finger until you won’t believe that what they're doing is real. 

 Did Serena Williams wander around the tennis court thinking about what to have for dinner? Or did she practise her heart out to win every single match? I was 4 when I started ballet, and I’ve been doing it for 7yrs, and I’m still not able to get have a perfect pointe. Before you say any of this is easy, I would like you to go home and try standing still on your toes for 10min, and see if you can do it.

 You still might not believe me. But what I’m saying here right now, on this spot, is a fact. A fact that only few understand. A fact that only people with some knowledge would understand. 

 Imagine all the training sessions you may have done, and after all that, you end up performing in front of hundreds of people. And those people are thinking: Oh, this looks easy. No wonder they’re doing it so well. I’m guessing they practised like once a week or something. How would you feel? Proud? No, you wouldn’t.

 Think carefully when you look at something. Think outside the box. Cuz once you get stuck deep inside the box, there’s no going out. I hope this told u something, and I hope standing up here, in front of all of you, made a difference.

For the people who still don’t understand, someone wise once said, ‘When you judge another, you do not define them, you define yourself.’ This message has the biggest meaning anyone could ever think of. Remember this:

Your actions matter.

Your actions change you.

Your actions mean everything.

And they affect people too.

Thank you.