Before the mirror, lying over a wooden bar, the dancer exercises thinking on the premiere. There is not an artistic profession more sacrificed, that requires more self-sacrifice and dedication, than classical dance. It demands an intense training and a really hard diet. Their career is short and the process is, sometimes, cruel. But when the curtains rise and The Bayadère appears on the stage, she feels that the effort has been well worthwhile. (Act I, scene I)