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you want my legs to go where?

Last night I took a ballet class for the first time since probably 7th grade. That's 22 years people! So all things considered, as I look back I didn't do as badly as I could have. I remember all the positions at barre and have been stretching regularly, but once it came time to put a series of steps together across the floor, that's when my brain turned to mush. I used to speak ballet, but I don't remember a lot and will need to do a little reviewing: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_ballet

In addition, we did some serious stretching both at barre and in the middle of the floor and occasionally my body would twinge and spasm as if to remind me I'm not the spring chicken that used to do these movements. But it also brought back flashbacks of about the time I stopped being serious about ballet... when my childhood teacher would push me deeper into stretches to the point of severe pain.

I LOVE watching ballet and dancing it even if I know I was never professional dancer material. But ballet also reminds me why I adore bellydance so much.
Ballet is an elite and select group... bellydance is for every woman of all shapes and sizes. One dance form encourages starvation, the other encourages empowerment of femininity. One forces your body to unnatural beauty, the other utilizes your natural beauty.

I'll continue to go to ballet class because I love a challenge and want to get in amazing shape - hopefully the recent purchase of this DVD will help as well.

At least now I'm mature and wise enough to know my body's limits and not force it - and confident enough to be ok with that and just enjoy the dance.
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  1. NielleMay 6, 2009 at 12:16 PM

    actually I think I took ballet a semester or two in college, but that was 15-ish years ago! holy cow I feel old now.

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