IN CONSIDERATION OF SPORT, RIVALRY & COMPETITION: A Farewell to Rafael Nadal
One thing I love about Sport and often miss in my mission in Ballet, is RIVALRY.
I always say that the world of Sport is somewhat of the underclass, where, you not only are allowed to prove your worth -- but are full stop expected to. Add to this that Sport ushers in the talent -- its an open door policy, whereas Ballet is very much CLOSED DOOR & PRIVATE!
In Sport you are constantly being compared to others -- for better or worse. Whatever you were able to accomplish on your best day, is fast forgotten if those best days can't become the norm: both consistent and dependable.
If you are talented, right away your coach is going to find someone to put you against. It could be someone from your own team -- or it could be someone in the public eye -- or from the history of the sport. But there is no escaping the overriding push for COMPETITION and you better be willing to enter that competition. PROUDLY.
CHIN UP! AND CHEST OUT!
My earliest memories in gymnastics was my coach comparing me to NADIA! Wow!
My highly arched feet, hyperextended legs and gangling physique was a mark of Nadia and all of the gymnasts of her era! It was still prized but rare; these markers had already largely gone out of style. The shorter, stouter power gymnasts were coming up. Elegance was loved but not necessitated. Add to this I was somewhat of a goof in the gym -- I loved the show. Nadia was famous for giving a good show! She was fun, cute, light and razor sharp! We also had similar faces and hairstyles!
From my perspective, Nadia was simply the gymnast known for The Perfect 10. I never really thought much of her body or her lines -- but I definitely knew that getting Perfect 10's was A VERY GOOD THING. And so this comparison helped me and my coach formulate a vision of myself. I would be focused on Perfect 10's which means I would be focused on skill mastery -- not just rotations. I think my coach could see that I was afraid of rotations to begin with so best to misdirect me a bit!
And so for the entirety of my time in gymnastics, I crafted my work and my accomplishment around this competition. Even as I reached College I was still known for being youthful and bubbly and "Nadia like". This certainly gave me confidence and a shine. It also allowed me to have encouragement for longer.
When I finally left sport and turned to dance, I can remember having to painfully walk myself through the understanding that I wasn't letting myself down -- I wasn't letting my coaches down -- I wasn't letting Gymnastics down. I was only distinguishing myself for who I truly was. I WAS NOT NADIA in love with and determined for gymnastics -- but Imani -- a dancer who happened to do gymnastics -- who was passionate for something else entirely. But the funny thing is, if you knew me as a gymanst you were pretty sure I was passionate. Because it was required.
From one perspective, these comparisons kept me glued to something that wasn't necessarily authentic -- but from another perspective, one that has come in hindsight with my dance practice, it was this comparison and competition that gave me fortitude to stick it out and to grow. This is what helped me succeed and take advantage of opportunities that I had in front of me not only ones I dreamed of. Frankly had I not taken those opportunities I likely would have never entered dance, because it was the strength I gained from sport that opened the door to dance at all.
If I am totally honest, sometimes, I really miss the competition and comparison -- the rivalry and the push from teammates and coaches.
Of course in ballet there IS competition -- because there are very few jobs! BUT in the world of ballet, everyone likes to sort of obscure this fact, so much so that to be directly competitive with another dancer -- to compare yourself with a great or set yourself on a vision for what a great has accomplished, is not rewarded.
Those "competition studios" are often spoken about with vitrol - and dismissed as "unartistic".
Add to this that when a dancer reaches a very high level of skill, out come the critics writing it off as "not the only important thing " or "Dance is an Art not a Circus" or "It's only boring technique" or my personal favorite, often launched at dancers with beautiful poses and high levels of flexibility or power: "DANCE ISN'T GYMNASTICS!"
Dancers are NEVER posed as Rivals. They are posed as colleagues who appreciate one another's gifts. If a dancer becomes upset that another dancer is receiving favor, you cannot express it -- even to your coaches. You must accept this as part of the business as the world of ballet is pretty nasty to ANYONE who complains. Even as audience members express their preferences it really is only the audience with this right.
Then, even when a competitive dancer rises to the top, they are often not applauded for their determination or drive to be the best. In fact more often than not their flaws are hunted out and put on display. She was great "but this or that or the other". In many cases the competitiveness of the dancer is posed as the problem for the dancer. "If she hadn't been so competitive this or that wouldn't have happened" or "she should ha e been more focused on the art".
THEN -- you have the dancers trying to be competitive but they end up being cutting, snarky, comparative and mean.
After some time in dance, where at first it was wonderful to be relieved of competitive pressures, I realize that this near aversion to competition -- or the misunderstanding of it -- creates its own problems.
QUESTIONS ARISE for me that never even came to mind in Athletics: Am I allowed to work to my maximum capacity and not be perceived as an Athlete? Are artists allowed to seek the highest standards for themselves and to seek their fullest potential while also being Artists? Why are colleagues most critical of me when I am in my best physical condition, often posing concern for my health? If I assert that I have ballet legends that I look up to and want to imitate, will people perceive me as "too big for my britches? Why are dancers feeling that their passion and love of dance is enough --when in fact there are terribly few jobs with plenty of dancers to choose from? Do I deserve a job simply because I am passionate and love to dance? Is my desire to really have the skills a Director needs a bad thing? Why is there criticism for mastery -- with many saying "oh just dance". to take).
These are all things that have come up for me in my own path. And these are things that make this letter from Tennis Legend Roger Federer to Nadal so satisfying.
Tennis is perhaps the Classical Arts of Sports. It is distinctly "Upper Class' with it historically being played in Private Members Only Social Clubs. Even as it has expanded, Tennis is found in primarily affluent communities, with Serena and Venus turning the field on its head by breaking in from "the other side of the tracks".
Like Dance, Tennis allows the individual to shine and it is considered an artful sport. The Tennis world has always seen Federer as the exhibition of high class style with his manner of play being seen as the epitome of elegance that is possible at the highest levels. Likewise he always receives the most prestigious sponsors -- such as Rolls Royce and Rolex, Mercedes Benz and Izod. He is Affluent Culture mmbodied in the sport.
Federer is the Playeur Noble de Tenis.
Nadal has always been posed as the opposite: Rough, Feral and Free. He bends the play to his will and powers through even the most elegant matches. He is the Hot Rod to Federer's Formula One. As such he has bonefied "Street Cred" and can attract fans who have no underlying knowledge of the sport whereas Federer attracts "those who know".
Nadal is the Vassiliev of Tennis.
The rivalry has been strong and has only helped grow the love of the sport -- with peasants and bourgeoisie alike being drawn in to the heated matches. Clearly this rivalry has helped hone these two into Legends, with their own unique games.
Just as there will never be another Federer, there will certainly never be another RAFA! And that is what makes Roger's letter to Rafa so meaningful, deferent and inspiring.
Federer begins:
“Vamos, Rafael Nadal!
As you get ready to graduate from tennis, I’ve got a few things to share before I maybe get emotional.
Let’s start with the obvious: you beat me—a lot. More than I managed to beat you. You challenged me in ways no one else could. On clay, it felt like I was stepping into your backyard, and you made me work harder than I ever thought I could just to hold my ground. You made me reimagine my game —even going so far as to change the size of my racquet head, hoping for any edge.
(Federer played Nadal 40 times throughout a legendary rivalry at the top of men’s tennis, with Nadal leading their head-to-head record 24-16.)
Federer continued:
“I’m not a very superstitious person, but you took it to the next level.
Your whole process. All those rituals.
Assembling your water bottles like toy soldiers in formation, fixing your hair, adjusting your underwear... All of it with the highest intensity. S
Secretly, I kind of loved the whole thing. Because it was so unique—it was so you."
Please take some time and read the entire letter to Nadal here -- and maybe consider that rivalry and competition aren't such dirty ideas after all. You don't need to be a nasty beych either!
It is not shameful to be competitive and to strive to match or even surpass the legends of your field, It is not automatically honorable to be "only focused on your personal best" as so many like to brag.
At the heart and soul of both Athletics and the Arts is THE AUDIENCE and they deserve the very best that we can be. They come to the game or to the theater searching for something beyond themselves...something bigger and yes, BETTER.
They come for inspiration to try their best and not shy away from the competition because in every field, in every circumstance in life, we are all faced with the concern of being replaced -- or never being considered. It's one of the more pesky problems of life that politicians and philosophers have spent centuries trying to address.
Our Greatest Athletes and yes, our Greatest Artists help us all understand that while we must live with those concerns, we can also face them and address them and WE CAN RISE TO THE OCCASION OF LIFE. Sometimes we can do that by being our best self and tuning out the competition; but sometimes the wind from someone being right on our heels gives us that little extra push that makes the difference between going all in or, giving up.
That's All --
Madame B.