Also

Ms. Munro spoke to me yesterday.
Asked me if I was okay. Asked how my knees were, mentioned how I never do jumps.
I explained why I didn't do them in class, but how I still marked and learned and can do them if needed. How in such a fast paced environment I tend to forget the details I need to think about and hurt my knees. I explained how the right leg is longer, how my back is curved, and how I have the calcified whiplash. I told her in choreography, I'm fine, because I can think about it. I can work specifically on something and know how to avoid injury.

She told me I should be very proud of how far I've come in such a short amount of time. She asked how long I've been en pointe, and said that these other girls have just been on longer.
She asked me to pointe my foot, so I did, and she said I had really good arches, and I need to lift out of my shoe more. That I need to build the strength so I don't sink.

I wish someone had told me this sooner.
I had heard whims of this, but never definite. It wasn't anything concrete. I do stuff with the theraband, but I wish I had known to dedicate to this. That this is what they were looking for.

I can't change the past, but I can move forward to the future.
I am still the cover, which means I still have a shot, even if it's not the way I had hoped.
Even if it sucks.
Even if I feel like complete crap and a failure and like I must suck to get the roles I got, since I'm not even with my level.

I can't change the past.
So I'm going to work like hell on what I now know to do. I'm going to press forward with fierce determination, and hope someone doesn't show up enough and they actually follow through with replacing them. I'm going to show them I can do it. Because nothing would be worse than feeling all these things, getting to do the part, and finding that I can't do it.

Tuesday's after ballet will be dedicated to building strength.
I can't let myself be afraid of my knee hurting, instead I must train it to go in the right direction.
I'm going to speak to teachers about how to better focus on gaining this strength, what to do with my shoes to help them last longer, and if I should start doing jumps in class or if it would do more damage than good. (I also don't grande plie for this reason. My knees haven't hurt since, even with choreography.) (I also don't have to wear the brace any more.)

So if they can see the improvement in all my other efforts, I'm going to keep up with that til they see these.

Positives:

• Ms. M complimented my musicality, asking if I played an instrument. I have not
• She said I have come a very long way for the short amount of time I have been dancing
• She said that I did really well in the Winkie Guard role last year and carried the other dancers, specifically with my ability to count and acting skills
• She said I have really arched feet (I'm taking it as a compliment)