The Ballet class

I have two daughters and have therefore done many drop off's and inevitable waiting outside the ballet class. I did a lot of ballet when I was younger and my mum would also patiently wait in a draughty hall for me to finish my classes.  She also did ballet when she was younger and her mum did the same. Now where am I going with this? 

What is it about ballet that makes every little girl want to do it? Why do us Mums happily wait for our daughters for hours on end?  I am deliberately only referring to girls in this blog as in percentage terms there are many more girls which take part in ballet than boys. (Maybe that is a blog topic for another day!)

Is the ballet class the the equivalent of boys playing football? A rite of passage for the majority of females? Is it that ideal version we have of a ballerina? Hair in a bun, beautiful tutu and never ending legs?

If I think back to why I loved ballet class, it has to be the music, the outfit, and the dancing itself, all combining into a magical 45 minutes. It isn't easy. Constant repetition, exacting standards, tough competition and aching muscles. But maybe that is why we kept going back? Just one more week and we'll get that arabesque perfectly, or so we thought!

To be honest the bit I liked best was when the teacher played some music and we could do whatever steps we wanted. This was the part of the class I excelled in! Being on the short side, I knew I was never going to be a prima ballerina. What I lacked in technique I made up with in enthusiasm. 

To watch my daughter at ballet now is wonderful. The concentration on her face and the delight when she finally cracks a tricky step. Her angry policeman routine could rival any of Darcey Bussells!  

Quite simply, ballet combines beauty, strength, determination and a tiny sprinkle of magic.  What more does a girl need?