A love letter to dance, discipline, and pretty costumes…
Many of the posts on the internet about experiences with ballet sadly revolve around childhood trauma, especially struggles with body image and eating derived from unforgiving coaching and fierce competition. Unfortunately, many girls’ experiences with ballet were ruined by unkind practices that are excused under the guise of tradition and discipline.
However, I am blessed to be writing a love letter to my experience with ballet. Learning ballet as a fulfilling hobby to enrich my life, rather than to take over my life, ensured from the start that it was a positive experience for me. I went to a local dance school once every week for an hour-long lesson, took exams as I progressed, and partook in dance school shows. It was never about pursuing a career, just about exercise and art and love.
Something I think I have always loved about ballet is the structure. I have always been a rule-abiding child (I still feel a pit of dread in my stomach at the mere thought of breaking a rule at the big age of nineteen). In ballet, rules are the backbone of the art form. Each move had a specific requirement that I strived to meet with enthusiasm. I found a thrill in learning how to do something, and doing it correctly until I mastered it. I got a distinction in my grade 1 ballet exam, and I think this was due not to any sort of special talent, but my ability to perform each exercise exactly as I had been told. I recognise that this is an odd reason to adore ballet, but I am embracing the joy that these little rules and disciplines give me.
Ballet makes me feel beautiful. Regardless of what I am wearing or what I actually look like when I dance, I feel beautiful and elegant and graceful. I think there is such beauty in performing combinations that honour hundreds of years of tradition and artistry. I truly believe that it is impossible for someone not to look beautiful when they are dancing.
I hate workouts. I hate forcing myself to go through movements that hurt and strain, all to feel tired and sweaty and fed up afterwards. Ballet, however, has kept me fit without ever feeling like real exercise. Of course, I can feel that it works my muscles hard and forces me to stretch and strengthen in places I wouldn’t usually, but it never felt like miserable like other forms of exercise did to me. In fact, there is satisfaction in the way it works and tires you.
I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that pretty costumes are one of my favourite things about ballet. There is nothing more rewarding than trying on a tutu for the first dress rehearsal after weeks of learning and perfecting a routine. The little details like beaded bodices or extra fluffy layers in a skirt made so much difference when it came to confidence and performance on stage.
I found it a bit odd when people jumped onto the “ballet-core” trend and started wearing ballet flats, legwarmers and sheer wrap-skirts just for the aesthetic, but honestly, I don’t blame them. Since ballet is associated with grace and femininity, the outfits have also become a symbol of these things. I love the dainty silhouettes and the way that dark greys and black complement pale ballet pink.
Finally, I owe a huge aspect of my love for ballet to my dance teacher, Kylie. She taught me from a place of passion with a genuine desire to help me become a better dancer for my own enjoyment. Whether she knew it or not, she was a teacher of so much more than just dance: I learned life lessons in those ballet studios and built friendships in our chats between barre and centre. I was a student of Kylie’s for over half my life, but I think the impact of all my ballet lessons over the years will be life-long.
"You live as long as you dance."
- Rudolf Nureyev
Thank you for reading! I would love to hear your thoughts and experiences, so please hit the ♡ and drop a comment.
I love ballet so much, growing up it was my favorite style of dance. I resonated so much to this!
Couldn’t agree more! I danced ballet from age 3 to 15 (and then branched out to other forms of dance in high school) and loved every minute of it. Like you, I thought of it as a passionate hobby rather than potential career, and I think that helped preserve the joy, grace and beauty of it.