"I danced all through junior high and high school, then took it up again three years ago to get in better shape. When I'm home, I take classes with little girls. It's fun because they're so sweet to the old lady. Ballet helps my golf. I have to focus. I can't let a mistake fluster me." Kris Tschetter, professional golf player, in a Sports Illustrated interview
Another example is the Diablo Ballet in Contra Costa, CA. This ballet company was started by engineers - yes, you heard right, engineers. The founder of the company wanted to provide a place for engineers to be involved in the arts. He believes that engineering and ballet have a lot in common, because there are structural dynamics behind each step.
Anyone can learn ballet, as long as you have the will to learn. Some of you may be wondering - what on earth is ballet, really? Ballet is dance done as a theatrical performance, frequently telling a story.
With the increase in people's awareness that leading a good life includes leading a healthy one, many people are turning to ballet for its numerous benefits. Ballet provides a complete warm-up, called barre, which when executed properly, gradually gets the muscles from head to toe working. It is not just exercise for the heart and lungs, it includes exercises which help strengthen and increase flexibility of all the major muscle groups.
Ballet is a gradual process. If you wish for fast results, you will probably be in for disappointment. If you attend class regularly, you may not see results from class to class, but then suddenly, one week, you'll notice that you can do something you weren't able to before. Your body responds in each class with small gains which add up until you see the change. This gradual gaining of physical abilities is the healthiest method.
Ballet is also good exercise mentally. It requires a great deal of focus where your mind lets go of other thoughts. When class is over, your mind returns to the daily norm, but from a clearer, refreshed perspective. Personally, this is one of my favorite benefits - if ever I walk into ballet class upset or confused, when I walk out, my mind has cleared ad the world looks like a much brighter place.
Go To Page: 1 2
| Here's the follow-up discussion on this article: | View all related messages |
For a complete listing of article comments, questions, and other discussions related to Indrani Rauth's Ballet topic, please visit the Discussions page.