“What Adult Ballet Means to Me….”

I think anyone who has seen ballet dancers in action would appreciate the physicality of ballet. The dancers leap across the stage, spin around a hundred times, balance on one leg forever and stretch their bodies to the limit. When I wanted to include more exercise in my life but previous experience taught me I was allergic to gyms (okay, not literally), it was certainly the physical exercise that attracted me to ballet. What I didn’t realise was that starting ballet as an absolute beginner in my adult years would give me so many other benefits.

Mental Wellbeing

The first thing I noticed was the great benefit to my mental wellbeing and this took me by surprise. I had no idea ballet would require so much brain power. Having to learn an exercise during the mark, and then do the steps as set, in-time to the music, with technique and artistry takes total concentration. For 90 minutes all the worries from my life are pushed out of my brain, and I always leave class with a smile on my face. Ballet for me is the most effective way to detox my brain.

Ballet Buddies

When I started at Elancé Adult Ballet School I joined a class with other beginners. I enjoyed bonding with my classmates as we tried to master these strange things we were supposed to do with our arms and our feet, while wrapping our heads around the French terminology. I have made wonderful new friends through ballet and I look forward to seeing my ballet buddies each time I attend class.

Increased Confidence

I didn’t have the opportunity to learn ballet as a child and I thought ballet had passed me by. Discovering that yes, I CAN still learn something I thought I was too late for has given me an increased sense of confidence that has spilled through to other areas of my life.

And a Couple of Bonuses

I also discovered some frivolous benefits:

• Retail therapy – Ballet has opened up a whole new world of things to buy when I want some retail therapy. Another pair of shoes, new tights, a skirt, another wrap top, more leg warmers… Buying ballet gear is so much fun and it’s so easy to convince myself I ‘need’ it.

• “I can’t, I have ballet” – I have used this line many times to get out of things I didn’t want to attend, such as children’s birthday parties and Tupperware parties. Funny how these things always clash with ballet! I just need to make sure I don’t use the line until AFTER they’ve told me the date and time of their party!

I feel really lucky that I found Elancé Adult Ballet School, a studio that has nurtured me through my ballet experience. Adult ballet has enriched my life in so many ways and I hope it continues to be part of my life (as Dianne would say) “from now until forever”.

Post by Elancé student Rebecca