If it’s not the mange, it’s the fleas is one of those cynical sort of sayings. It means “If it’s not one thing, it’s another.” So that’s pretty obvious, I guess, but here’s what’s fun about it.
I learned it from my dainty little ballet teacher, Anita Dyche-Yezer, who grew up in Alvin, Texas, and never forgot her roots. Anita had danced all over the world with the Ballet Rousses, as a principal dancer with the National Ballet of Washington (DC), and as a guest performer with some of the legendary greats of ballet.
After she retired to Houston, Anita became known as an amazing (and demanding) teacher. Professional dancers from Texas sought her out to help them break bad dance habits, reshape their bodies, and advance their careers.
It worked, too. I watched it happen. But they had to be willing to work extremely hard and do exactly as they were told.
Being a ballet dancer is hard, hard work that never ends. As soon as you fix one weakness or bad habit, another crops up. So this saying perfectly describes the constant battle all dancers and all dance students must fight daily—and expresses it with a down home Texas twang.
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