“I Am Not a Ballerina” by Yinuo Shi is an inspirational piece where the author explains many things that make up ballerinas and reiterates how she does not fit into their descriptions. She says how ballerinas are glimmering stars of dance. She states that they have “strong work ethics and wills of steel” that strive for brilliance and perfection. Ballerinas are “creatures of beauty,” flexible queens, and famous, which the author says she is definitely not. Although these many things made her different from ballerinas, the author is trying to capture the way ballerinas are.
I can say that I’m not what the author describes either. I am not in anyway perfect, flexible, or graceful for that matter. She says, “I am not a ballerina. But I am trying.” My name is not known around the world but like the author, I can try. I can try to be graceful; I can try to develop flexibility. We both aren’t ballerinas, but we can attempt to follow them.