Throughout my entire college career, I have never taken a class just for fun until this spring quarter. My logic was that if the class did not help me get closer to getting my degree, then it was not worth the time and effort. However, with many of my friends graduating this year, we all decided to take a fun class to spend time together — as a last hurrah before they would go their separate ways after graduation. Thus, I am enrolled in beginning ballet.
The class itself lasts about two hours, and I was worried that the class may be too long. But having friends in the class made the two hours fly by. We have fun doing the ballet exercises. We begin class on the bars, where we take some time to go through stretching routines to make sure our legs are ready for the next hour and half of dancing. We then cycle through multiple routines that allow us to practice various positions common in ballet. My favorite would be the demi plié into the relevé, in which you stand in the first position (heels together and toes pointing in opposite directions) and go down slightly, bending the knees and then lift to your heels. While this movement is quite manageable when your hand is on the bar, trying to do the same on the floor, with no bar to help with balance makes it seem like a whole different type of ballet move.
Another thing that I found to be fun about the class was that after learning a routine, we practice it with music. The instructor will turn on a short classical song, where we do the movements in time with the music. The historical ties between ballet and classical music make ballet seem so ethereal, and when the music started, it felt like I was being transported to some other world.
Our dance teacher, Stuart Caroll, is a pleasant and caring instructor, cracking jokes while also being extremely helpful in explaining ballet terminology. I honestly did not expect to learn so much about ballet, but one thing I can take away from this class is how much hard work it takes to master. The dance form requires such extreme levels of strength to even be able to do all the leg lifting, not to mention the balance needed to be able to stand perfectly still on one foot. I was already struggling just to keep up with the increasingly complex dance routines, let alone trying to execute them with finesse and grace. Taking this class was at first meant to have fun with friends, but on top of having fun, I have begun to appreciate the art of ballet and now have so much respect for ballet dancers.
From this experience, I would highly encourage you if you haven’t taken a class with friends, to try it out! Whether it be taking an introductory art or dance class, I think it is a great opportunity to not only be able to have fun with friends but to also learn something new at the same time.