Ballet Bodies
A Winter at the Barre
by jennifer grambs
Spring is the time of year when we shed our winter coats and -- maybe for the first time since cold weather set in -- we actually think about how our bodies look without layers of fleece.
And then there's Springtime for ballerinas and danseurs in dancing gear, which is a whole other way of looking at warm weather.
So, I wasn't surprised when a student came up to me after class recently and started chatting about how she noticed what she called the "ballet bodies" our dancers are developing. Fabulous, I thought.
As your teacher, I see very clearly (and so does Ballerina M) how our weekly classes and your hard work and commitment to dance all make a personal difference every day.
A winter at the barre! And what results!
Ballet changes what we see when we look in the mirror and observe ourselves. Our ritual practice at the barre influences our "ballet bodies" in the making and inspires us to move well. No more wasted time focussing on imperfections.
Ballet calls our attention to more important things. Our balance. Poise. How gracefully we move.
The time we spend in class REALLY PAYS OFF. But it occurs to me that maybe you, my students, don't notice (as I do) that each time you work through a plié, lengthen your neck, practice your turn-out, point your toes -- well, you're not only dancing. You're also stretching, lengthening, using muscles, shaping and toning your body and your image of yourself.
It really is personal power set to music.
So, I want to be the second person to congratulate you and welcome you to the new, beautiful bodies you're working so hard to achieve.
The first person to tell you was, of course, Ballerina M.
Happy Spring.
# # #
A Winter at the Barre
by jennifer grambs
Spring is the time of year when we shed our winter coats and -- maybe for the first time since cold weather set in -- we actually think about how our bodies look without layers of fleece.
And then there's Springtime for ballerinas and danseurs in dancing gear, which is a whole other way of looking at warm weather.
So, I wasn't surprised when a student came up to me after class recently and started chatting about how she noticed what she called the "ballet bodies" our dancers are developing. Fabulous, I thought.
As your teacher, I see very clearly (and so does Ballerina M) how our weekly classes and your hard work and commitment to dance all make a personal difference every day.
A winter at the barre! And what results!
Ballet changes what we see when we look in the mirror and observe ourselves. Our ritual practice at the barre influences our "ballet bodies" in the making and inspires us to move well. No more wasted time focussing on imperfections.
Ballet calls our attention to more important things. Our balance. Poise. How gracefully we move.
The time we spend in class REALLY PAYS OFF. But it occurs to me that maybe you, my students, don't notice (as I do) that each time you work through a plié, lengthen your neck, practice your turn-out, point your toes -- well, you're not only dancing. You're also stretching, lengthening, using muscles, shaping and toning your body and your image of yourself.
It really is personal power set to music.
So, I want to be the second person to congratulate you and welcome you to the new, beautiful bodies you're working so hard to achieve.
The first person to tell you was, of course, Ballerina M.
Happy Spring.
# # #