"You can't turn a tutu into a four-four."
- The earliest comment about my size that I remember.

Today’s Throwback Thursday is doing a two-step. First, above, some old dance photos. Second, below, a ballerina look re-created in my 20’s just for fun.

Fat Ballerina

I was extremely fortunate to have an aunt as a professional ballet teacher with her own dance school. Thanks to her, dancing was a regular part of my life – with weekly classes and annual recitals – from age four through high school. I took both ballet and tap classes, which fostered a love for choreography. Music and creativity… huge influencers for me.

Dance was not without its downside, though. Real talk: I was always the biggest girl in the class, as well as the ‘teacher’s pet’ (being her niece, and all). There was an enormous feeling of pressure for perfection (as any dancer knows), which loomed large over my already-crumpled self-image and fragile ego.

Ultimately, I quit dance classes in high school when the performance pressures outweighed the positives (pun intended). I will always admire and respect the art of dance, though.

I paid homage to that part of my life while messing around with modeling in my 20’s. Here’s a few of my favorite shots, taken in December of 2007:

I’ve been digging deep in self-reflection. Find more Throwback Thursdays in My Life.