Ballet condition me


This is the grace and long, lean form of a dancer.  And that is the beautiful Elise Gulan on the cover of the workout dvd that I own and have been doing weekly.

So it's not her fault that, try as I may, I don't have a dancer's grace.  Or a dancer's efficiency.  And I can't kick my legs that high.  Or hold my arms up in fifth position for that long.  When I look at myself in the mirror during the ballet conditioning work out, I shudder at the toad squatting its plies and quickly direct my attention back to Elise.  In my mind, I'm smoothly going through the moves alongside her, on a lush lawn by the sea.  In my mind.  When my thighs, quads and hamstrings are not screaming bloody murder and begging me to stop.

I'd love to lengthen my body like a ballerina.  I'd love to have the rock hard abs that Elise has and for my hair to stay up perfectly in a bun for an entire workout.  And SMILE during an entire workout.  But this is real life, boys and girls, and in real life, my hair is a sweaty disaster and I have to keep waving my arms (or legs) wildly around at random so the motion sensor in the workout room will turn the lights back on.

Excuse me while I limp off to the kitchen to stuff my face with ice cream cake.  Because that's my real life and I love it.

Comments

  1. Ha! REal life is so much interesting and fun than perfection. Can I join you in the kitchen for some ice cream?

    (is this a super aerobic or heavy workout? I'm looking for a moderate one to do during pregnancy, but can't find one that interest me. I used to do the 30 day shred, but that's too much for my condition)

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  2. haha..so cute Ruth, don't worry I definitely don't have the ballerina strength or leg kicking abilities either. At least you have grace in the kitchen! That says a lot


    xoDale
    www.savvyspice.com

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  3. haha, I like the sound of your real life - plus I don't trust people who don't sweat ;) As someone who has been doing ballet for years, I can certainly say that it takes a really long time to become supple. Grace, on the other hand, is the gift of the gods.

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  4. Haha! Well, I couldn´t find that kind of grace even if my life depended on it - but I´m really graceful while eating cake and running in the woods and that´s good enough for me! :-)

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  5. Ha! Loved it . . . especially the bit about having to wave your arms for the motion sensors! :)

    But never fear, you are not alone. The only time I even attempted ballet was in college--Movement and Dance for the Performing Artist (I'm not even a performing artist, mind you). It wasn't pretty.

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  6. hehehe- I think I'll join you in some ice cream cake.

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  7. i too would love to have a dancer's grace and body, but it's just not going to happen. and pass the ice cream.

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  8. I stuff my face with Ben & Jerry's ice cream a few times a week. And always right after working out! :p

    I have always appreciated how dancers move, and how incredible their bodies are. I had a classmate in high school whose passion was ballet, but also contributed to our track&field team. I have never seen anyone jump over hurdles or run a 100m so gracefully as she.

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  9. I bought a ballet conditioning video once and never used it...I'm actually trying to get into yoga...we will see how that goes...lol.

    xo erica

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  10. oh gosh, i did dance for 15 years and i miss it dearly! and i still never had this kind of body. so sad, ha
    xo TJ

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  11. I know exactly what you mean. As much as I wish it weren't true, I will never be so graceful. I won't even do workout dvds unless I'm home alone because I know it's a big clumsy disaster!

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  12. =) Very cute post. I always think that dancers and boxers have the best workouts and the best bodies...and that's because it takes every ounce of effort I have to get through their workouts!

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  13. Lovely post, I stopped ballet very young unfortunately... Wishing you a very happy Easter too xo

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  14. Ballet is just all over the blogs at the moment! I like the idea of the strength and the suppleness and the elegance but I have negative elegance. And I don't need to see myself in a leotard. I'm going to stick to yoga (which makes it sound like I do yoga all the time - ha! Worst yogi ever). x

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