Bask in the beauty of ballet
Ballet is the most beautiful western dance forms of all the other dance styles with breathtaking imagery on display. Believed to have originated in Russia, it is perhaps the most widespread classical dance style across the world. Over the years, it has gained popularity and many dancers have come up with their own versions like Jazz Contemporary and so many more that give the old classical style a modern touch.
If you are one of those ballet admirers who could not get enough of the Hollywood blockbuster The Swan Lake and spend your afternoons listening to Tchaikovsky, then I can surely tell you that ballet can be a form of exercise.
Have you ever wondered what kept Audrey Hepburn graceful and lithe through all those stressed-ridden years of her life? She maintains that it’s her training at a ballet conservatory that taught her elegance and helped keep her figure picture perfect.
Ballet, as a form of dance is beauty personified, but it is now a popular form of exercise and workout too. Contrary to popular belief, it isn’t all pretty pink tutus and pointe shoes. It requires the strength and agility of a professional football player. It isn’t hard then to imagine the amount of training the body gets when you do ballet.
Ballet requires the movement of most muscles in your body, giving you a full-blown workout. Most people practicing ballet shed fat and have well toned muscles. This is because of the tough yet graceful movements one must aspire to do. It’s an excellent way to maintain the flexibility and tone
the back and the abdominal muscles. This reduces the risk of back pain in
the later years. It’s based on the premise of strength and grace, and the focus it requires acts as a perfect distressing tactic.
At a ballet class, one is taught a series of simple exercises on a handrail called a “Barre”, which encourages better, straighter posture and strengthens the back muscles. Once that is taught, one must master the pirouettes and plies with practice that can create a well-defined waistline. Mat exercises include excruciating stomach crunches and push-ups.
Ballet is set to beautiful background music, and requires a well spaced out studio with a lot of natural sunlight and reflecting mirrors. Practising in such an atmosphere does wonders to the mind, leaving you calm and composed.
My dear friend Ava Barucha who is well known in India for her skills and techniques in ballet says, “Ballet is one form that gives a dancers body a complete workout, it’s a way to achieve all that you ever dreamt off. Ballet makes a dancer mentally, physically and even emotionally strong.’ Ava adds, “The key to attain advantage from ballet and its different exercises is to do them regularly and most importantly do then sincerely. Because this sincerity is the one that affects the body the most.”
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