Nowadays anyone can see dancers perform thanks to television, where movies like Center Stage and shows like So You Think You Can Dance are accessible to the masses.
Nevertheless, ballet still remains off-limits for a large percentage of the population—particularly young people and, especially, young men.
If you or those around you are reluctant to go see a ballet, probably one of many misconceptions is skewing the perception of what is actually an exciting and dynamic art. So here we debunk the most common myths about ballet:
It’s a Girl Thing
Most men find it very emasculating to sit down to watch sparkly tutus and men in tights. However, ballet goes far deeper into the complexity of human beings than just the tutus they wear and the slippers they dance on.
Ballet dancers are incredibly athletic and you can see it in superhuman jumps to breakneck turns across the stage. The men and women train from a young age to perform physical feats that few athletes from other sports could even attempt. So if you like athletic sports like Basketball, you may also enjoy the mind-blowing amount of muscular strength and power ballet dancers display.
When it comes to fitness, it's important to consider the direction you would like to take that would bring you consistent as well as long term benefits. Something that would enhance your natural beauty, helping you to appear looking graceful, fit and elegant.
Ballet offers a sustainable mind-body fitness that delivers exquisite results while also accommodating a wide range of physical abilities. It’s a progressive technique that actually gets more intense as your form gets better. Whether you’re 9 or 99, ballet offers an elegant way to develop strength, awareness, flexibility, coordination, balance, and agility. Learning a beautiful art form also engenders feelings of accomplishment and enjoyment. And because it addresses the key elements of fitness in one beautifully designed technique, doing ballet keeps you looking youthful and feeling vibrant at any age!
Read MoreIn a recent study, ballet dancers and people with no dance experience were compared by measuring their emotional sensitivity when viewing others.
The participants were monitored by putting electrodes on the tips of their fingers and measuring the sweat response triggered by an emotional reaction.
The dancers were able to read emotions better and their body reacted in a stronger way than the ones in the control group.
Here is an explanation why ballet helps you develop more empathetical understanding of others.
Read MoreBallet-inspired workouts blast fat, focusing on lower-half results such as abs, bottoms, and legs shaping. Here's the secret: Most exercises involve "micro-movements," in which you move just an inch or two. They take out the momentum, forcing you to stay in the contraction, which tires muscles faster, giving you faster results.
Read MoreSo many people feel intimidated about trying real ballet despite its wonderful fitness benefits. Here’s what you need to know to let your inner-ballerina shine!
Myth: Ballet is only for people with a natural dancer’s physique.
Truth: You don’t have to be thin, leggy, flexible, or coordinated to do ballet.
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