I HEAR SARA MCLACHLAN'S LAST DANCE in my head while recalling a dream I had over the weekend: I was in a ballet studio, performing jetes and temp levés for a childhood friend.
I was a ballet student in my youth, for a couple of years until I decided to quit. It was not because I was tired of the class or the dance, but because I had turned 11, hit puberty and grown a little too chubby for my leotards and tights. Adolescence is such a strange period indeed!
From warm-ups to on-stage performances, French artist Edgar Degas depicts the strenuous routine of ballet dancers. His images don't seem to capture too much movement, but rather frozen moments in the wings, at practice, or after a show.
I miss the art and the dance.
Paintings by Edgar Degas. Images from commons.wikimedia.org
ballet is beautiful although i wasn't so in to it when i was a little girl. what i loved was gymnastics but i quit because i was afraid of competing. like your parents, they didn't force me to continue because they were afraid i would hate it if they did. i also wish they pushed me
ReplyDeleteYeah, I think my parents thought I would hate it too if they pushed me...
ReplyDeleteDid gymnastics as well but I was always apprehensive to do the stunts :-O haha!
I regret quitting ballet too!! But not so much for wanting to dance still, more of for wanting to be more graceful! Hehehe :-)
ReplyDeleteI super super suuuper love Edgar Degas!! <3
Aww, let's all re-enroll :-) Haha, I'm serious.
ReplyDeleteEdgar Degas, classic!
I quit at about 7, and my parents didn't try to stop me. It's one of my biggest regrets too (the other is quitting Chinese lessons). I think one day we should re-enrol :D I'd love to go en pointe one day.
ReplyDeleteThanks for shharing this
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