Ballet?

Action, Growth, Health, Inspiration 1 Minute

Ballet. Technically a noun, a verb in theory.

Photo by Luis Gallegos Alvarez on Pexels.com

I danced from age three at Ada B. Coons, School of Dance, and then with a series of teachers until my first year as a modern dance major at the University of Oklahoma. All of that seems eons ago. These days I sometimes dance in my living room. Before the lockdown last March, I thought about finding a class for adults. Just recently, the idea of virtual classes occurred to me. My point (no pun intended)—ballet might not be your thing, but the world wide web has so many things. Carpe diem.

When I decided to take some extra action this April, I Googled—ballet lessons youtube. I looked no further than the video from the Royal Academy for Dance at Home. Just over seventeen minutes, this lesson sounded perfect for a fifty-one-year-old woman, who hadn’t done a single plié in years. Instructor Sarah Platt coached me through a warm-up and shared tips on posture and pliés before a cooldown complete with eyelash batting practice. Now I have eight more classes to try. By the way, these classes are targeted at the 55+ crowd. Lesson number two includes tendus and battements glisse. Lesson three—ronde de jambs and port de bras. Lessons four through nine—new sequences.

Thanks so much for reading today. For this April’s A-Z Challenge, I hope to stick to a theme of action—I’m thinking both mental and physical, continued current activities, those of days gone by, and possibly a few never attempted. You might not want to try this at home. Then again, maybe you do.

Published by Crystal Byers

When I was young, my dad would always say, "Crystal, you can choose your attitude." One day I chose to believe him.

Published

52 thoughts on “Ballet?”

  6. While not ballet, I’ve considered attempting to learn some dance moves through video lessons, but even home alone, I have not gotten up the nerve to attempt it. I may now. Thank you for the inspiration.

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    1. What I like about ballet is how it transfers into my posture, and if I ever tried any other type of dancing, the grace and drama of it carries over. Good luck! No one is watching at home. 🤍

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  9. Thanks so much Crystal, for providing a link to these videos.
    I am a dancer too, and I believe that dancing helps to keep me ‘young’.
    I’m in my seventies now, and still dancing… 😄🌼

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  10. There’s something irresistible about music, Crystal, that just makes us want to move in rhythm. Not all of us (especially, ahem, !) have the grace and finesse ballet requires, but the impulse always is there to imitate those dancing flowers one used to see in toy stores.

    Compliments to you for realizing that yearning’s more refined expression. Even so, music moves us all!

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  11. How exciting for you! What a wonderful self challenge and follow through. Ballet, for me, speaks to the power of what a human will do when intent and dedication fold into each other. I’m awed by those who enter that gate. Take care of you.

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  14. 2014: started to write with my left non-dominate hand and various finger positions of either hand

    2018: started to draw with my dominate right foot

    2019: started to play a keyboard

    2018: became heavily involved in Neuroplasticity

    2020: became heavily involved in Acupuncture exercises

    2021: went totally insane…🤪

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      1. Trying to rewire my brain. Writing with my left hand has synchronized my right, creature hemisphere with my left, logical hemisphere which means I’m now totally F@&$ed up!

        As far as acupuncture, no acupressure, I go to motivationaldoc.com and Dr Alan Mandell. Acupressure is an ancient form of massage that is one of the treatment methods used in Traditional Chinese Medicine. The goal of acupressure (as well as other Chinese Medicine treatments), is to encourage the movement of qi (“life energy”) through the 14 channels (meridians) inside the body.

        這再次意味著我完全搞砸了，但是用了中藥！

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  15. You are always finding new and exciting things to do! I love that about you. I’m just trying to keep all my balls in the air and I decided juggling is not my thing! C

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