I hope you dance. Part 1.

Facing your mortality can bring sharply into focus what’s been missing from your life. For me, I had the loss of my beloved Les Mills Barre classes at my local gym just as I was coming back to class, post melanoma surgery recovery on my leg. Argh. Annoying! (In fact, I read the text from the gym alerting me of this fact and yelled “Noooooo!!!” at the phone). And yes, although they have those classes recorded online, I especially enjoyed dancing with others around me, belonging to a movement (pardon the pun). I’d previously had some short-lived forays back to my dancing roots. Some were more successful than others. At times I would choose a class that would gallop along at great pace. My body, though willing, could not quite keep up, nor could my mind latch on quickly to the steps (I had always found learning choreography a challenge but not too difficult a one, in my youth). On the flip side, some classes were too plodding and predictable for my liking. Zumba was way too repetitive for me, like 80’s aerobics. Finding your way back to your passions (or discovering the new) is a lot like the Career Discovery and Personal Renaissance work that I do with people. It’s linking into your values (I love variety and want freedom), realising my strengths (knowing what I’m good at and what energises me) and finding what piques my interest, flames my passion or engenders my flow. Or, all of the above! So for me, going back to ballet for its structure and impossible perfection somehow centres me and I think of nothing else for the next 75 minutes. I especially love the port de bras where your arms move gracefully (but with lots of thought and effort which you try not to let show on your face!) It may look pretty easy but I effortlessly break into a sweat. Every time.

I've seen so many people via my career practice over the years who have lost touch with passions, hobbies, things they loved to do and activities they have dreamed about but never got around to trying.  I'm reminded of the saying "Most people die with their music still in them."

I’m glad that I’ve come back to my neglected, off-again, on-again relationship with dance.

I lost my ballet pumps, but after another search through the cupboards, they jumped out at me, unearthed under some books (funnily enough, some were about dance!).

I asked around for good ballet classes nearby, got some valuable tips and tried out a few classes. How wonderful to find a ballet teacher who is kind and encouraging, firm, funny and corrective and shows an obvious love and affinity for teaching adult ballet students (who are clearly there for the love, not for the career progression).

I am leaping lightly (it takes a while for the brain and muscles to fall into line) and am loving the experience.

What are you thinking about leaping into... or at least sampling?

Best wishes,

Lois