My Ballet Journey
The start of my ballet journey was a reluctant one. I was a painfully shy two-year old and would hide behind my mother’s legs if anyone dared to look at me, let alone talk to me. My mother tried her best to bring me out of myself. She took me along to try various classes and activities in order to achieve this with little success. Thankfully my mother persisted and eventually took me to a ballet class.
I have little recollection of those first few weeks in the ballet class but my mother maintains that she danced with me at the back of the toddler class for six weeks before I would let her out of my sight and attend the class on my own. I wouldn’t speak though. No way. I would move to the music and do as the teacher encouraged us to do but I would not answer any questions, or offer my input into any creative ideas (or indeed ask to go to the toilet, which didn’t end well!). But the teacher encouraged my mother to keep bringing me and I’m glad she did.
I was captivated by ballet and also by my wonderful teacher, Pearl Shaw. She was without doubt the person who ignited the fire in me. She was a wonderful, kind (but strict) lady, fully invested in her students’ experience and progress in ballet and made each and every lesson an absolute joy. I realise now that not only did this teacher inspire me to dance and feel comfortable being me but she also inspired me to teach.
As I progressed through the grades, she worked us hard, particularly when I was older and preparing for vocational exams. But this teacher gave me confidence in myself, she taught me how to appreciate music and movement and most importantly how to express myself. She fostered in me a life long love of ballet.
As time went on I took examinations and later in preparation for vocational exams (aged 9 or 10), following the advice of my teacher I attended yoga and pilates classes with my mother for additional body conditioning – primarily to improve my flexibility and core strength. I also attended self-led limbering classes with a group of dance friends every Saturday morning for an hour before the days’ classes began.
At age 12, I was offered a scholarship to attend the Hammond School of Ballet in Chester full time. My mother persuaded me not to go. I was young and bright and my mother wanted the “best” for me. The path I then followed could not have been further away from the future life I had imagined as a small child. After gaining a Bachelor of Laws degree at university, I attended Law School and subsequently became a litigation lawyer at a corporate law firm in London for the next 10 years. Not quite what I had intended!
As I grew older, I naturally became more interested in my health. Whilst working in the City, I went to the gym a few times a week, experimented with running (not my thing!), yoga, pilates, kick boxing, street dance, circuits…the list goes on. However, I missed the inherent grace and strength in ballet, the artistry it requires and the logic of how it fits together. The focus is not on the “thing” – the kettle bell, the running machine, the weights – the focus is on your body, the way it moves in the space, in sequence, in time with and in appreciation of the music, the balancing involved between limbs extending and contracting. The stimulation of your mind, as well as the physical changes you experience in your body. Ballet is well known to be one of the highest forms of athleticism. I realised I hadn’t previously danced to get in shape. I had danced because I loved it and it happened to keep me in shape. So why not do that now?
After some searching I was thrilled to find a New York City Ballet (NYCB) workout class near my flat in East London. I could only attend the classes at the weekend due to my work schedule but this worked for a short period of time. However, the teacher subsequently moved away from the area and I couldn’t find a suitable alternative class.
A year or so later I was married and expecting my first child. I still retained a strong desire to find the right form of exercise for me. This coincided with a re-think regarding my career and achieving some sense of balance in my life now I was a mother. I still wanted to dance and be involved in the dance industry so in the end I took the brave move to leave the legal profession and I retrained to become a ballet teacher (Royal Academy of Dance) and a tap and modern teacher (Imperial Society of Teachers of Dance).
During my training with the RAD I met an inspirational woman who was to be my tutor for the first year of my course. In the context of learning how best to assist a child’s ballet training we spent several sessions practising floor barre (or at least most people did – I was 5 months pregnant with my second child!). I was immediately drawn to this conditioning work and was fascinated by the effects and improvements it could have on the dancer but also the clear benefits it could provide for non-dancers. It resonated with the NYCB workout I had attended, and also with my own experience of conditioning as a child in preparation for my vocational exams.
After gaining my ballet teaching qualifications I set up an adult ballet workout class at a local dance school in Hertfordshire. The class proved to be very successful and I subsequently set up my own business teaching ballet conditioning/fitness to adults. “Ballet Body” (www.balletbody.co.uk) launched its first class in Harpenden, Hertfordshire in January 2014.
I continue to freelance with the dance school teaching ballet, tap and modern to children and run the dance school’s Ballet Fitness classes. I have also been fortunate enough to be invited to provide ballet training to a group of young elite board divers and elite gymnasts in preparation for national competitions. This has been fascinating work and is yet another example of the benefits of ballet conditioning to everyone, including elite athletes. I also co-teach a weekly movement class to people with Parkinson’s Disease.
My fitness philosophy
In order to stay healthy and happy I know how important it is to find an exercise regime that works for you and has longevity. Something that you enjoy, that can become part of your daily routine, that challenges you and uplifts you. A healthy mind is just as important as a healthy body.
Ballet is an art form that anyone can learn. It is not just for those svelte long limbed creatures whose vocation is to dance professionally. If you attend a ballet workout/barre class, not only are you reaping all the benefits physically, but you learn how to move to music, which muscle group or groups to engage to perform a particular movement correctly and you will learn a new language (its all in French!). Most importantly you learn correct posture, which can be applied during your daily routines and help to prevent and alleviate any aches and pains you may have. Ballet provides a huge sense of achievement at learning a new skill. It is this sense of achievement that will keep you going.