The Naked Dancer

A Poem by pasdepoisson

Examining the fanatical zeal that motivates ballerinas.

The dancer is naked onstage
Every sinew bent to her task
Supple, strung like a bow

They say nature has no straight lines
And the danseuse is nature perfected
Strong as a tree, pliant as bamboo

Her architecture drafted
By centuries of masters
After classical proportions

The acolytes of Terpsichore
Embodying weightless spirits
Of sylph and will o’ the wisp

Is it any surprise these wispy figures
Demand absolute discipline
A fanatical Spartan regimen

The mirror is always watching
Our danseuse's self-awareness
Manifest in anorexia, amenorrhea

An Amazon would sacrifice one breast
I wager a pointe-shoed princess
Would sacrifice substantially more

Who can question their drive?
This is how they spend their lives
The servants of the dance

© 2013 pasdepoisson

Author's Note

I was a semi-pro ballet dancer for years. I have a deep appreciation for ballerinas and their inhuman strength of will.

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Reviews

Girl Friday (Sarah W.)

Beautiful write! The imagery in this one was absolutely fabulous. I love the descriptions of the dancers, and I too have always been fascinated by them. The way that their bodies move so effortlessly across the stage, almost floating, is in stark juxtaposition to the pain and anguish that they go though behind their smiles in order to make their bodies do these things that look so easy. We have a dancer in the family, used to perform in New York with a ballet troope, and now that she is in her 50's, the arthritis in her feet and knees is so bad that she has trouble walking sometimes, but I've seen pictures of her dancing and it was so beautiful. Anyway, I went on a rant...this one made me feel something. Nicely done!