Ballet and Yoga?
Posted by Rainbow6 on December 10th, 2010My youngest yoga client is 9 and I teach her and her mom in a therapeutic yoga class. We started comparing and contrasting ballet and yoga. We had interesting findings.
There are definitely similarities in body movement and awareness. Sunflowers look an awful lot like grand plies and Balancing Mountain pose resembles releve (forgive my absent accent marks).
But there are many differences in philosophies on structure and alignment, stretching principles and participants’ ability to be unique in their movement and abilities.
Don’t get me wrong – I love that my parents sacrificed and saved so that I could take dance class from age 5 to 18. I think all those years with other girls, learning new routines and performing them really helped my coordination and my confidence. I was one shy 5 year old – crying every week when Mom left me at the studio. The studio that I attended was not the regimented, strict kind – it was fun and social and encouraging.
But as I was chatting with my young client…she kept remarking about the rules of ballet. “In this stretch, we aren’t allowed to bend our knees” as she gingerly breathes into her straddle stretch (with knees bent). “Sometimes it really hurts…” she says. She’s hearing mixed messages. I’m telling her to listen to her body and only go to a comfortable, challenging place…while the ballet class has more rules…and maybe more pressure to look like the other girls in class.
Certainly I understand the need for structure and alignment and consistency. When you pay money and go to the ballet, you don’t want to see everyone going at their own pace…that would be chaotic and not very artful… or would it?
I don’t have the answer. Ballet class is great for many reasons…but I’m grateful and humbled that I get to be the other voice for my 9 year old client, encouraging her to accept where she is, honor and love her body and be present – right here… bent knees and all.
Tags: Ballet
