Be The Best "You"

By:  Vanessa van Rensburg

Facebook page for Joseph Michael Gatti.  His cover photo titled, "Official Fan Page".

Done!  I am a fan!

His latest video captioned, "You're only as good as your last show," really got my attention, along with a few couple hundred thousand others.  If you happened to miss it, click here... 

His mind and body, providing what seems to be limitless amounts of power to his muscle groups conditioned specifically for dance, allowing him to exercise control which is beyond most of us, effortless flight to unimaginable heights and the perseverance to succeed.

The blood that runs through my veins is filled with music notes and intricate dance combinations.  Saying that, I have respect for any individual, despite their chosen field, who strives to be the best at their craft.  Driven by passion, dedication, self-motivation, the will to succeed, and a responsibility to execute their God-given talent to the best of their ability.

To those of you who are still debating whether dancers are athletes… Yes, dancers are athletes and more.  Words like strength, technique, stamina, endurance, power, ability, mental maturity, commitment, focus, and a high tolerance for pain come to mind when you think of an athlete.  When you think of a dancer, though, those words are accompanied by words and phrases like musicality, artistry, creativity, versatility & the ability to defy gravity.

Dance because you are passionate.
Dance because you are strong.
Dance because you are an individual, not an average statistic.

Dance for the love of movement.
Dance for the love of music. 
Dance for the love of expression.

Be true to yourself and what you were created for.
Obstacles in any shape or form, are just there to improve your ability to leap!

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JOSEPH MICHAEL GATTI, Professional Ballet Dancer, former Principal with Corella Balletin Spain and Cincinnati Ballet and currently a Principal Guest Artist.

From Joseph Michael Gatti:

"Thank you so much for sharing my video and thank for respecting this art form and acknowledging that dancers are athletes as well.

Back in December I had a very bad injury completely breaking my foot.  There is a small documentary about it on my page called “You Against You.” Last Breath.

Anybody who has had a bad injury knows how hard and stressful it can be. I worked on strengthening areas of my body to help protect myself from future injuries. Learning from my past physical therapists I worked with throughout the many years I have been dancing, has been very important to me. I’m so thankful to be back stronger then ever dancing now.

”The Important thing in life is not the triumph but the struggle.”