The Part Of Being A Professional Ballet Dancer We NEVER Talk About

I'm no stranger to tough jobs. In my YouTube series Lucie For Hire and Try Living With Lucie, I've challenged myself to snowboarding, yoga, working out for 5 days in a row, being a Radio City Rockette, and even testing out an anti-gravity treadmill! But none of that compares to my latest challenge: performing as a prima ballerina.

At first glance, the moves and posture look simple, but my feet were killing me as soon as I put on the shoes! Dancers often start with demi pointe shoes to ease the transition to pointe shoes. While they still both resemble the box-shaped toe, the pointe shoe takes years to work up to as they're stiffer and harder to manipulate.

Next: the look. Sure, I put on a pale-pink leotard and a tutu and found myself looking very ballerina-cute (and comfortable, I might add). However, the overall style is designed to help you move while also highlighting a dancer's graceful appearance. Pro-tip: Grab yourself a ton of bobby pins to perfect that ballerina bun.

Combining pure athleticism and artistic talent, the ballerina is one of the most versatile performers in showbiz — and a prima ballerina notably has the highest honor within the ballet company. Isabella Boylston is a principal dancer at the American Ballet Theatre and my coach throughout this experience. She taught me how to stretch, move, and look like a ballerina.

These dancers make it look easy, but let me tell you, being a ballerina is far from elementary. Even the warm up was challenging. Can you touch your toes without assistance? Because I sure can't! Every turn came with multiple instructions and every jump featured a new way I had to remember to hold my neck, face, torso, and arms. When it came time to perform my Swan Lake number, I realized that I just had to go for it and leave my insecurities at the stage door.

This experience gave me a new-found respect for the sport. It's so much more than pretty style trends and chic updos. It's more physically and mentally challenging than I could have ever expected. Watch my exciting attempt at being a prima ballerina in the above video. Misty Copeland, here I come!