Imzadi
♥ Saved by an angel in a trench coat!
- Joined
- Oct 29, 2004
- Messages
- 40,151
I just started ballet again, last nite, for the first time in 20 years! I had been thinking about it on & off for a while, but, until this month, I was locked into a gym membership (that I barely used,) that was making auto-deductions from my credit card for the last 3 years. So I didn't have the funds to take any other kinds of classes. (I also want to try pilates & yoga.) I realised, it was work to get me to go to the gym, whereas I love to dance! 
I can get the same resistance body conditioning from the barre exercises that I would get from any gym machine.
I used to happily go to dance classes 3 times a week without needing to drag myself there, like I did to the gym. I looked forward to dance class and felt so up & energised afterwards. I could have danced another two hours after class. Often I did. My friends would sneak me into bars after class so we could go dancing.
So a while back, I had Googled "Adult beginner ballet class" & found two places I was really interested in (when my gym membership would finally be up.) I carefully read over the course descriptions and both said that at absolutely NO time is there ever any advanced students or professional dancers allowed in (to make up another class,) to watch, criticise or shame us, or that we'd just feel like ugly duckings dancing next to them.
That description was critically important, as a "beginner" dance class here in NYC could actually mean a "beginner Broadway professional" class made up of people who are beginners in the professional realm & have been dancing since diapers.
These classes are for adults, a safe environment, and at a level & speed for us in our "adult" bodies, who haven't danced or moved in a while, or may have physical problems - like a bad knee or tweaky hip. I later learned that dance training has changed over the decades. As kinesiology, (the study of movement,) has become a real science, they've found those 50 grand plies (deep knee bends) I used to have to do every class as a kid, is precisely why many retired dancers today have back & knee problems as adults today.
I just happened to check one website again and the class calendar said "coincidentally"
a new series of classes was starting the next day! The next series after, wasn't going to begin till January. It barely took a second to decide, "Oh, I'm starting class tomorrow nite!" No way was I putting my life on hold till January. Other than making extra plans to buy dance wear, I didn't hem & haw & have to think it over much. That's how right it felt. 
After class, I emailed a friend about it. Of all people, I knew he'd understand. He is a former, professional ballroom dancer. He's been burnt out the last several years, after competitively dancing. He's been thinking about teaching ballroom again. (That's also another type of dancing I've been wanting to learn, too!) He actually took himself out salsa dancing recently, not to teach anyone, but just to have fun dancing again. It was also the first time for him in years. If I can get him to give me a private lesson, so I have the salsa moves down, and he doesn't have to be teaching me, we can go salsa dancing together for fun!
Since class, I have felt great and happy all day today. I took back a part of my life that I missed & loved. I realized I was literally out of my mind; to think I used to drag myself to the gym to powerwalk on a treadmill with my iPod, when I could have been dancing instead! 
I won't make that mistake again!
When you get the choice to sit it out or dance:
I Hope You Dance!
~ Artist: Lee Ann Womack ~
I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed,
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance:
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances but they're worth takin',
Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth makin',
Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter,
When you come close to sellin' out reconsider,
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance:
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone.)
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance:
Dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance..
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone.)
I can get the same resistance body conditioning from the barre exercises that I would get from any gym machine. I used to happily go to dance classes 3 times a week without needing to drag myself there, like I did to the gym. I looked forward to dance class and felt so up & energised afterwards. I could have danced another two hours after class. Often I did. My friends would sneak me into bars after class so we could go dancing.
So a while back, I had Googled "Adult beginner ballet class" & found two places I was really interested in (when my gym membership would finally be up.) I carefully read over the course descriptions and both said that at absolutely NO time is there ever any advanced students or professional dancers allowed in (to make up another class,) to watch, criticise or shame us, or that we'd just feel like ugly duckings dancing next to them.
That description was critically important, as a "beginner" dance class here in NYC could actually mean a "beginner Broadway professional" class made up of people who are beginners in the professional realm & have been dancing since diapers. These classes are for adults, a safe environment, and at a level & speed for us in our "adult" bodies, who haven't danced or moved in a while, or may have physical problems - like a bad knee or tweaky hip. I later learned that dance training has changed over the decades. As kinesiology, (the study of movement,) has become a real science, they've found those 50 grand plies (deep knee bends) I used to have to do every class as a kid, is precisely why many retired dancers today have back & knee problems as adults today.
I just happened to check one website again and the class calendar said "coincidentally"
a new series of classes was starting the next day! The next series after, wasn't going to begin till January. It barely took a second to decide, "Oh, I'm starting class tomorrow nite!" No way was I putting my life on hold till January. Other than making extra plans to buy dance wear, I didn't hem & haw & have to think it over much. That's how right it felt. After class, I emailed a friend about it. Of all people, I knew he'd understand. He is a former, professional ballroom dancer. He's been burnt out the last several years, after competitively dancing. He's been thinking about teaching ballroom again. (That's also another type of dancing I've been wanting to learn, too!) He actually took himself out salsa dancing recently, not to teach anyone, but just to have fun dancing again. It was also the first time for him in years. If I can get him to give me a private lesson, so I have the salsa moves down, and he doesn't have to be teaching me, we can go salsa dancing together for fun!
Since class, I have felt great and happy all day today. I took back a part of my life that I missed & loved.
I realized I was literally out of my mind; to think I used to drag myself to the gym to powerwalk on a treadmill with my iPod, when I could have been dancing instead! I won't make that mistake again!When you get the choice to sit it out or dance:
I Hope You Dance!
~ Artist: Lee Ann Womack ~
I hope you never lose your sense of wonder,
You get your fill to eat but always keep that hunger,
May you never take one single breath for granted,
God forbid love ever leave you empty handed,
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance:
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,
Never settle for the path of least resistance
Livin' might mean takin' chances but they're worth takin',
Lovin' might be a mistake but it's worth makin',
Don't let some hell bent heart leave you bitter,
When you come close to sellin' out reconsider,
Give the heavens above more than just a passing glance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance:
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along,
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone.)
I hope you still feel small when you stand beside the ocean,
Whenever one door closes I hope one more opens,
Promise me that you'll give faith a fighting chance,
And when you get the choice to sit it out or dance:
Dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance.
I hope you dance....I hope you dance..
(Time is a wheel in constant motion always rolling us along
Tell me who wants to look back on their years and wonder where those years have gone.)
). What a great book! I have been really thinking about my personal mission statement and a family mission statement. And they (FranklinCovey) have corresponding planner pages themed around the 7 habits (how helpful is that?) AND- FranklinCovey ALSO makes "health" planner pages, where you can keep track of your foods, water intake, make notes, etc!! 
I feel like I hit the jackpot I was so excited to find that out! 
