Body Presence
The ballet bug has bitten me. It’s true. I have never been a big dancer type. I took jazz and tap when I was younger, but I never felt the passion and enthusiasm that dancers talk about. But the last year I have been taking a 2-credit ballet class at Evergreen that meets once a week for a couple of hours. Our instructor, Jehrin, is a wonderful teacher who explains ballet technique and movement with joy and fun. She has given the confidence in this form of dance that I never knew I could possible have.
Ballet is hard. Seriously, it’s not as easy as it looks. I mean, I’ve seen a few ballet productions in my day and I always thought, “So the girl can leap in the air, but what’s the big deal?” But now I understand all the hard work that ballerina has gone though to get her leg up in the air in that exact position. It’s tough stuff, she has her foot turned in an exact angle to her inside of her foot is facing out, and she keeps them pointed at a certain angle as to not create a sickle foot look. Then there are her arms; she must have them in fourth position that frame her face without making them look too boxy or too round. She must tuck in her butt and puff out her chest. And she must do all these things seamlessly in a span of five seconds. It’s intense.
I have discovered over the year of my ballet training that I have become more aware of my body presence. My instructor made a good point during one class that we as humans move our bodies with our heads. We are thinking when we walk or stand, but rarely do we pay attention to how we are walking or standing. After her lecture of body presence I began to notice that I also moved with my head and did not pay attention to the rest of my body. Since this talk I have stood up more straight, watched how I walked and corrected my slump. Through all of this I’ve noticed that my body has felt healthier and I feel more confident in my body appearance.
This is a class that I highly recommend to any Greeners. I think there is so much we can learn about movement and dance that Jehrin is willing to teach. Plus it’s a great way of getting a few extra performing arts credits. Go ahead; sign yourself up, I know you won’t regret it!