The Importance of Ballet
Ballet is the foundation of all technical dance forms. Think about it.
Even in Hip-Hop you can be in a wide second position plié while rocking your upper body side to side. During that time in class, you might not even be aware that you just did a plié, but guess what…you did!
Ballet shows up in every style of dance whether we like it or not. The more a student studies ballet, the more that student progresses, excels, and flourishes in every other style of dance.
Pick Up The Pace
We live in a world that is fast paced. Everyone wants fast cars, fast workouts, a fast commute to work, fast meals to prepare, etc. The faster something is, the better. It’s no surprise that Hip-Hop and Jazz are some of the most popular forms of dance in our culture because of their fast paced nature.
When you take a step back and really think about it, living a fast paced lifestyle isn’t always good. It is nice to have those moments where you can catch your breath and soak up the sun, or enjoy a long walk on the beach, or a joy ride while listening to a favorite radio station, or even cook for longer than 20 minutes and enjoy it!
Ballet is the same way. It is so good as a dance student to have that time to really concentrate on the true technique in the midst of the hustle and bustle of all the other classes a student may take each week. It is a style of dance that is so important to the nature of dance in general that it is extremely hard to avoid.
Why Study Ballet?
When students ask me why they should study ballet when they only want to take Jazz or don’t want to be a ballerina when they grow up, my answer to them is always the same – “because it is good for you!”
Ballet teaches work ethic, perseverance, dedication, motivation, stamina, flexibility, and strength. Dancers work hard in ballet but the results are worth it.
Ballet helps dancers grow – it gives students what they need to spread their wings and fly in all dance classes. I never became a principal in a ballet company and that was never a goal I had for my career, but I never let that stop me from being the best dancer I could possibly be – and I took ballet year after year after year.
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