Body of Work

Grace period over, the talking ceased. We assumed our usual places at the barre. These barre spots are not free for the taking. There is, in every ballet company in the world, a pecking order. All the spots—by the piano, by the mirror, at the end, in the center—are accounted for. Some are claimed by Principal Dancers, others by members of the Corps de Ballet who have stood in the same spot for years. When outsiders come to take class with a company, they know not to claim a place at the barre until class starts.

And God help the new kid who takes a much-coveted spot. The most basic of movements. This fundamental movement is the precursor to more advanced steps. I had done this series of exercises daily for twenty years. That is what we do: As we moved along to more strenuous movement, still holding on to the barre, my mind would drift again. At times I would become bored.

I would look out the window, wishing I could take advantage of the beautiful day. Especially on Saturdays, when it seemed that everyone in New York City was just a few blocks away, leisurely strolling through the stalls at the Union Square Greenmarket. But class pushed on. That was a saving grace. You had to dive in and take motivation from other dancers in the room as you executed the familiar steps in their never-changing order: As they increase in complexity, class becomes more like a performance, with dancers caught between two desires: As the dancers grow ever warmer, layers of clothing come off, one by one.

Customers who bought this item also bought

The daily strip-down to a leotard and tights. After a while, the windows would steam up from the body heat of eighty exhausted, sweating dancers.

Some dancers would trail out of the studio and leave class early, saving their energy and bodies for the long rehearsal day ahead. But those who stayed would pull off stunning jumps and turns, soaring higher and higher across the studio, unleashing a whirlwind of grand leaps and fleet turns in the air. An essential aspect of dance. The skill and enthusiasm of the pianists and what they choose to play is paramount.

A Body of Work

Their music could take me beyond where I stood. It could take me into the melody, into the small accents of the downbeat, in front of the phrase, or behind it just a bit. Or, if they were uninspired, their lack of enthusiasm could make the steps seem more grueling, deepen my fatigue, make me momentarily hate my profession. But music, as a whole, allowed me to envisage new ways of inventing my work. Lengthen where I once tightened, ascend more slowly where I once rushed. When I heard something I loved, the steps were forgotten and I just danced. Around me, others would be dancing too, all of us engulfed in the beauty that comes from the fusion of music and movement.

That euphoria occurred for me on an early morning in a nondescript daily class years ago. Suddenly, I felt I embodied the music. Bending and stretching my legs, coordinating my arm movements, this everyday exercise became something ethereal, heightened, spiritual. There was godliness in the movement. It was the beauty of Schubert that possessed me. This is what music can do to a dancer, if one is open to listening. In such moments of transcendence I was doing what I aspired to do, and loving it in the purest and most primitive way. The extreme physicality and grueling nature of ballet create unusually close attachments.

We feel part of a special tribe, drawn together by shared dedication, experience, and the understanding that dance possessed us all at a very young age. Because ballet demands and consumes so much energy and time, for many dancers the world begins and ends with dance. They proceed from class to rehearsal to performance and back to class again, year after year, barely noticing life passing beyond the studio and stage.

Though we become professionals at an early age, we paradoxically remain juvenile in many aspects of our lives. Our schedules are dictated to us, our ballets are chosen for us, our touring schedules are arranged by others. Our colleagues are not only our friends; they become our husbands, wives, one-night stands, occasional enemies, enduring affairs. For dancers throughout the world, all of life seems encapsulated within the confines of their own companies. But unity of the tribe also has a dark side: A group of dancers drinking at a bar at night can revert to bitching about other dancers like a clique of chatty schoolgirls ensconced at the popular table.

All of us are extremely vulnerable, which leaves us craving support from our peers and opens us to moments, in class and rehearsal, when we can laugh together about the silliest, most ridiculous things. We share collective discovery in rehearsals that are euphoric; we remain united through rehearsals that are a living hell. Each dancer has his or her own preshow rituals. No matter where in the world I danced, mine started invariably with morning class, with setting up my body. Not too many carbs, no sugars.

Filling enough to last me through the performance but light enough to not feel like a weight in my stomach. Soon after eating, full of food and feeling dozy, I would take a nap.

One of the ballerinas I have partnered, Gillian Murphy, is famous for her two-hour sleeps. But sleeping for that long before a show would make me too groggy. So my naps lasted half an hour, or an hour at most. The moment I woke to the sound of the insistent alarm, the anxiety and stress of the show rushed into my mind. The wait is over.

Body of work - definition of body of work by The Free Dictionary

In the shower, hot water warmed me as I mentally reviewed the steps I would soon dance. After the shower, always a shave. I normally dressed nicely: Usually there was a dinner afterward with family or friends, or a special treat when I could slip away with my manager and have a couple of drinks and dinner alone at our usual place. I always packed clothes to sweat in when I warmed up before the show, and a greeting card for my ballerina in which I would write a merde note. Before I left the apartment, my feelings were a jumble of anticipation, excitement, and dread.

Yet nothing compares to it. The nerves you feel with the show fast approaching. The pressure to dance your absolute best. I would careen between confidence and fear. What if I miss this turn? Mess up that lift? Do I have enough stamina? Will I get it right? I have to get it right. I cannot miss this lift! It will all be over if it goes wrong! Anything can happen on that stage. The Simple Guide to Having a Baby: Here's how restrictions apply. Portfolio December 31, Language: Start reading Body of Work on your Kindle in under a minute. Don't have a Kindle?

Try the Kindle edition and experience these great reading features: Share your thoughts with other customers. Write a customer review. Read reviews that mention body of work pamela slim highly recommended cubicle nation highly recommend world of work pamela slim escape from cubicle tie together thread that ties new world easy read makes sense career path connect the dots practical and inspiring thought provoking definition of success reading this book finding the thread.

Showing of 75 reviews. Top Reviews Most recent Top Reviews. There was a problem filtering reviews right now. Please try again later. Kindle Edition Verified Purchase. Body of Work is a deceptively quick and easy read that will only reveal its depth in the work you do. If you're looking for step-by-step advice on discovering your purpose or career, you won't find it here.

You will find inspiring stories and insightful questions to give your body of work new meaning and chart a future course: You must find meaning, locate opportunities, sell yourself, and plan for failure, calamity, and unexpected disasters. You must develop a set of skills that makes you able to earn an income in as many ways as possible.

It allows you to experiment and play and change and test. It supports creative freedom. It includes obvious things, like books, software code, photographs, videos, process improvements, paintings, and stories. And not-so-obvious things, like community development, love, movements, memories, and relationships.

I love that Pam doesn't embrace the Pollyanna effect. She doesn't ask us to analyze successes with a keener eye than challenges and failures. In fact, one of the greatest skills we can develop is to view adversity as a means of growth. Her advice for hard times: Honor what you have. Never forget, but choose to create a new future. Be supported, and support others. Amanda Wang, a young woman with bipolar disorder who, through therapy and training as an amateur boxer, is helping others with their own fight by making a documentary.

Finally, Pam asks us to redefine our notions of success. She doesn't quote Erma Bombeck, but in a nutshell: Madonna is one; Helen Keller is the other. I lost track of the number of times she said something like, "Grab a pen and piece of paper" or "Dig deeper and write. Be prepared to write I obviously didn't do so on this read through, but plan to over the next several months. If the publisher isn't preparing a workbook edition, I'd be surprised. Highly recommended for explorers who enjoy taking the road less traveled and digging deep.

Pamela Slim's Body of Work is the perfect companion for anyone looking to find the common threads in their career and weave them into a unifying platform for the future, in an economy that increasingly values agility, creativity and innovation. Her book is jam-packed with the perfect blend of anecdotes and insanely helpful exercises -- each chapter could be an entire book unto itself! Pam's recommendations are compelling, clear, and road-tested with hundreds if not thousands of entrepreneurs and corporate employees that she has worked with. I appreciate that she doesn't try to force a one-size fits all set of next steps or "shoulds," but rather guides the reader through the meta-level of career planning by finding common themes, building healthy habits, navigating fear, forming a meaningful support network, and effectively sharing your message with the world.

For those who find chapter outlines helpful, the Body of Work methodology can be summed up as follows: It's an ongoing evolution, and Pamela Slim has written THE handbook you need to navigate each one with greater ease and aplomb.

I received an advance copy of the book and was delighted to see that this book is Pam at her best. Her book illuminates what so many of us in the field are seeing - the traditional notion of the "career" is dead in this new world of work. To be successful, you have to weave a coherent story that pulls your past - the good, the bad, and the ugly - to the forefront, and her book shows you exactly how to do that.

While the book is full of big ideas, it's also backed with application questions, stories, and a lot of heart; Pam writes as a teacher because that's who she is. Whether you are just starting into this new world of work, are moving into a new industry or job, or just want to take a good look at how you're currently building your body of work, this book is a must read. It's the book I wish I would've had earlier in my life and I'm so happy to have it now. In Body of Work, Pamela Slim has synthesized what what many of us have had to learn by necessity -- that our careers aren't defined by our last job, or degree, or single capability, but by the unique accumulation of expertise, experiences, affinities and skills that makes up each of us.

With wisdom, care, and with appreciation for the wide range of work environments and preferences, Pam guides the reader through examples and exercises toward better understanding and communicating their goals. A wonderful read for anyone, at any stage in their career, whether corporate employee, entrepreneur, or something in between.

Pam was one of the speakers at Tribe Conference and I decided to grab her book right after the talk. Body of Work is a necessary road map for all of us who want to stay relevant in today's competitive market place. Pam defines body of work as the skill set we accumulate and apply in tasks and jobs.

The larger our body of work, the larger the array of opportunities ahead of us. We all need to keep building our body of work and Pam shows us how to stretch and extend. Author uses effective metaphors such as watering hole, ecosystem and the body of work itself. Pam's words are memorable and so is Pam herself as a speaker and overall awesome woman.