Caleb Durbin undertook his full-time training at National College of Dance and is now a Soloist at Alberta Ballet.
How did you cope physically with the demands of the workload? Please share how you adapted.
Full-time dance training is incredibly hard work. You have to learn how to take care of your body. For me, that meant remembering to eat well and getting as much sleep as I could to really recharge my body and mind. I was sleeping nine or ten hours a night and occasionally having a nap during lunch. Because of that, I was able to have a lot of energy in classes and rehearsals.
I also had to learn how to speak up if something didn’t feel right in my body. Catching injuries early is important so they don’t get worse. I had to become more aware of my body, so I knew when it was time to push hard and when it was time to recover.
What is one non-dance-related skill or quality that your full-time studies helped you develop or strengthen? How has this impacted you?
I think my full-time dance training gave me a lot of determination and self-motivation. I learned a lot from my teachers, but I found I improved the most when I spent time in the studio on my own, practising the corrections I was given. I learned through my ballet training that I have to be motivated and driven if I want to improve.
Training in ballet every day is hard work, but the consistency of full-time training taught me how to keep myself motivated and push myself to achieve more. I think I’ve carried that level of drive with me through my life, and it’s made me into a stronger individual.
Instagram: @CalebDurbin1 @NationalCollegeofDance