10/01/2026
For professional ballet dancers, the start of a new season is an exciting time, with new ballets to learn, new choreographers to work with, and new challenges to tackle. Dancers may have ambitions about the roles they want to perform and the ways they want to grow.
Being physically prepared to take on demanding rehearsal days and performance schedules is crucial. But what’s equally crucial—and less frequently talked about—is being mentally prepared for what the season holds, whether that’s learning a daunting new role, working towards an artistic goal, dealing with rejection, or managing a complex schedule.
Click here for strategies to lay the mental groundwork for a successful, fulfilling year: https://pointemagazine.com/how-to-mentally-prepare-for-the-season-ahead/ 🧠
📝: Lauren Wingenroth
📸: San Francisco Ballet principal Katherine Barkman in Justin Peck’s “Bloom.” Photo by Lindsey Rallo, courtesy SFB.
Description: Katherine Barkman does a piqué first arabesque towards stage right. Her costume is a long pink and white dress and pointe shoes, and she performs in front of a blue backdrop. Text: How to Mentally Prepare for the Season Ahead
