Time management

Since starting my new job with a ballet company in London I have had considerably less free time, especially since we have started our tour. We travel around from London to perform all over the country in our mini bus. Sometimes we do two shows a day and don't get back to London until very late and then have to get the night bus home. This can be tiring to say the least. For one performance we travelled down to Extetor and back in one day and I didn't get home until half 3 in the morning. For someone who needs a lot of sleep I initially struggled with this routine but now I am getting more used to it, although getting home at 3 in the morning will never be easy! I began to realise that the little time I have to myself is precious and I need to utilise it productively. So now instead of watching Pretty Little Liars (guilty) before bed I will now think ahead and prepare food for the next day, do my washing and sew pointe shoes to ensure I am prepared for performances the next day. We spend so much time on the tour bus I try to use this time to research and write blog posts ... when I'm not sleeping! For example now, I am on a 3 hour journey to Taunton so trying to use this time wisely. 

Also being a dancer looking after our bodies is very important. Finding the time to do this is difficult and for me I find that this is something I feel like I have neglected since starting touring. Ordinarily I like to do 45 minutes of Pilates before ballet class and I like to do a few yoga classes a week depending on how much dancing I am doing. But when we are on tour we have to do our hair and stage make-up before class and at the moment I have hardly been doing any Pilates excericses. So I am trying to find the time in the mornings and before ballet classes to do more of a warm up and stretch. I feel as though this is especially important to me because of my operation on my hip and I need to keep building up my strength and doing my Physio excericses! Also after the performances we get straight back on the tour bus but it is important for me to stretch my muscles because they get very sore and tight. Whenever I can I also like to have a hot bath to soak my muscles and help my body relax. 

Something else that takes up more time than I thought it would is preparing my food. I try to prepare a packed lunch and dinner when I am on tour because it can be very expensive to buy food on the go everyday! However I am running out of inspiration for lunches as chicken caesar salads and cheese sandwiches are starting to get a little boring. Nutrition is something I am quite interested in so I am sure I will talk more about this in another blog post!


As a person who enjoys being busy and having lots to do I enjoying my busy routine and loving being able to perform everyday. Although I currently feel a little behind on my BAPP work hopefully if I continue to use my time well I will soon be up to date.