It’s a well-known fact that many of you cringe at the thought of being in a ballet class. Understandably so – everything seems so boring, slow and PINK. However, the features of ballet that often get ignored are the power, agility, control, and athleticism that ballet demands of a dancer. Did you realize that the great football players Lyn Swann and Walter Payton took ballet on a regular basis? If you don’t believe me, get permission from your parents and then check out a few videos of Don Quixote (see photo of Nina Ananiashvili) or Balanchine works on youtube.com to see for yourself.
In addition, here are some of the terrific reasons you shoulder consider studying ballet:
• It teaches discipline and respect, for yourself, your peers and your teachers
• It lengthens and strengthens muscles while building a strong core
• It is the oldest and richest concert technique with refined standards and methods practiced worldwide
• Many other dance forms, such as jazz and modern, use the some of the same vocabulary, positions of the feet, and movement concepts as ballet
• It simultaneously emphasizes grace and power
With that being said, it is also to important to embrace as many other styles of dance as possible so when you step into an audition you can easily deliver whatever the choreographer is asking for. Ballet is great for building a foundation, but jazz, tap, hip-hop, etc. help bring the freedom and musicality to your movement that sets you apart from the rest in an audition!
