It was SO, SO, SO great to be back in the studio again. Beautiful wood floors throughout the studio, mirrors all around the walls, wooden barres, piano music, and a bossy ballet teacher. I loved it all.
Here's the funny thing about ballet. If an outsider were to observe a regular ballet class, he or she might think, "That looks so easy!" or "How the heck is that a workout?" (With the exception of pointe classes which OBVIOUSLY looks painful and difficult!) What that outsider fails to appreciate is the way ballet dancers use muscles that are largely ignored everywhere else in everyday life and how they strive after perfect technique.
There's a whole lot more going on that just lifting your leg, pointing a toe, bending, or prancing around. Disciplined ballet dancers focus on every.little.thing and every.little.muscle that she (OK, I know there are dude dancers, but it was an all-female class I attended) moves. It's about focus, meticulousness, skill, and CONTROL. And! Making it look flawless, fabulous, ELEGANT, and easy.
Knees, legs, toes, your bon-bon, core, hands, fingers, neck, chin, head....ALL these things must be in just the right place at just the right time while staying in sync with the music. It's the art of working and thinking VERY hard, without looking like you're trying or thinking about anything at all. :) I am SO rusty; my Ballet Poker Face needs a lot of work too.
I suppose someone could attend this class, go through all the motions pretty sloppily, and walk away not feeling like any of that was particularly challenging. But the dancer who focuses, strives after UTTER EXCELLENCE (I hesitate to say "perfection," but that's really what dancers are after), and remains careful and intentional about being in absolute control of every muscle of her body...THAT is the person who appreciates ballet as an art AND a sport. Come to think of it, doesn't this basically apply to everything else in life?
No Comments Yet, Leave Yours!