Dancer Dorms
The transformation of my dorm room from meticulously planned Pinterest perfection to an impromptu home gym was anything but expected. Initially, I scoured the internet for dorm hacks and bookmarked countless DIY projects. Little did I know that the stress of perfecting it would soon give way to a more pragmatic approach.
As a dance major, my dorm room resembles a mini fitness studio more than a curated living space. The multicolored rug I once envisioned was now a yoga mat that has seen its fair share of stretches. In the corner, a muscle roller stands ready for post-workout recovery, and along the closet hangs a piece of rope for impromptu stretching sessions. An array of exercise bands and balls now flood the floor space. Efficiency became the guiding principle, and my dorm room became a practical haven for fitness enthusiasts. As I navigate through my final years in college, I can't help but appreciate the irony of how a space designed for relaxation and study turned into a hub for physical activity.
Nestled into what seems like a mess of a pile is a muscle roller, my Gaynor Minden pointe shoe bag (which holds a myriad of resistance bands), ankle weights – for mat pilates, a tube of icy hot, a gel heating pad, spiky plastic balls – for rolling out sore muscles, and a ballet foot stretcher – to work on ankle flexibility to keep my ballet extension lines as long as possible. All on top of an extremely thick yoga mat.
Beside my pile of books and hooked into my closet door is what some would consider a medieval torture device, but for me, it is a daily practice: a leg stretcher. A rope of nylon with a loop on each end, one meant to hold a foot and the other to pull and hoist it up.
My room's more recognizable "exercise tool" is a pull-up bar. Although I am still, at best, subpar at pull-ups, I hold dead-hangs and try to do at least one pull-up every time I walk by it. In the back, I have three posters (two are old ads from a vintage store, and the other is from the Fotografiska museum). Below are drawings and notes my best friend beautifully wrote, held up by washi tape.
