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The Women's Page
Tales from the adult dance student avant garde

Thoughts on the real beauty of ballet class
Hello, my name is Crystal. I am 25 years old and have always loved dancing. As a child, my mom put me in dance class with my sister. It was one of those famous home-run basement classes. And although I know they all have a bad reputation, it was a wonderful experience. My teacher was old, but not a bit rusty. There were pictures of her -- in her younger days -- on the walls. One of her rolled backwards into a ball impressed me especially. Beautiful pictures of her students hung there as well.

I only took classes there for a short time before she moved. Then there was a long pause, but only in my official training. Privately, I kept dancing. Sometimes it was the only way for what was inside me to come out. I loved the feeling of pushing myself to my physical limits (of course that means the limits within my own safe and healthy physical abilities). The stretching and holding, and the power that comes afterward is glorious! Am I right? But best of all was how the music moved through me. I was not moving to the music, but the music was moving through me. Because of this I have always had trouble wanting to "count steps". Oh it is wonderful to see everything on beat and in coordination, but first you have to feel it. It is always felt before it is counted and memorized.

I took some ballet at 14, and the teacher there already treated me like I was way too old, and that it was all too late. I quit after one month: She just took the fun out of it. She was too serious, and assumed that all of her students wanted nothing but recognition and a professional career. She didn't want to teach anyone who danced for the love of it. She only had time to produce her product. She also didn't seem to know much about anatomy, because she expected everyone to have the same body. Every dancer was raw material to her, and I was defect in her eyes. Maybe that is a little harsh. She was a talented and nice teacher, But I couldn't help smiling when I saw her business had closed and yet I was still dancing.

I could draw a crowd at any disco or school dance. I had many compliments, and come-ons, and yes, many laughed too. Before you think of me as insane, remember I was a teenager just having fun. I took modern dance in high school, and was on the pep squad. Our dance three class danced for the school talent show, and at a soccer game. Our squad danced for football half-time, and other school activities. I wanted to be on the dance company, and was encouraged by a friend who was on it to join. But, not knowing dance terminology, I gave up at the first workshop.

The same teacher who supervised the company, also taught the modern dance class I was in. I could tell that she saw I had what they had, and that was enough for me at the time. I was, after all, still dancing.

I took some community college ballet, and some adult classes. The college class helped me learn some valuable information. And in the last adult class I attended there was a man well into his sixties, a pregnant woman, and a woman in her forties. I loved that! I thought it was great that the woman in her forties was better than me!!

I wish everyone luck in their dancing progress. It is a healthy skill and hobby, and not just for little girls and rich people. You have to smile when you dance, because it is fun, and that's the way it should be. -- Crystal