How does ballet make you a better person?

[hart]

In response to another thread, I got thinking about how ballet has developed me as a person. Maybe this has already been addressed on the forum (sorry if it has), but I am curious about how ballet has made people on the board better people.

 

Through ballet I have learned something about. . . . .

 

1. Humility

2. Patience

3. Perseverence

4. Courage

5. Freedom

[hart]

Oops, I think I posted this in the wrong forum- should be in the adult buddy board. Sorry.

[Xena]

hi Hart, no need to applogise

[Hans]

It's given me the ability to take criticism as it's meant--as suggestions to fix my dancing and not a personal attack. It has also given me confidence, and through it I have learned many things about what the human body can and cannot do, and how to care for it. It's taught me basic principles of classical art and that grace and beauty come in many forms.

 

And finally--it's given me beautiful legs!

[duckie9876]

It makes me a better person because when I go to ballet, I don't get cranky.

 

[Guest mic31]

It's given me alot more patience with outcomes and also a better understanding of people

[Guest Arak]

It's given me a good work ethic. No matter what kind of work I'm doing, I will do whatever I'm told without complaint and push at it until it's finished. Every boss I've eer had has absolutely loved me for this.

[Kitty]

ballet has made me a better person for lots of reasons. it has given me something to focus on outside of work and it is something that is mine alone. It has taught me to be more accepting (i am in a class with a lot of younger dancers), more understanding and to push myself. It has also made me more patient!!!

[Jaana Heino]

I think starting ballet at the old age finally proved to me the point I've been believing in earlier, too: that if one feels like doing something that is completely harmless to others, one should do it, no matter how much it's "not done" or "weird" or whatnot. After taking ballet and noticing that it's fun and useful and not at all idiotic at an adult age, I've even started to take acrobatics classes and learnt to turn cartwheels and stand on my head at the ripe old age of 30.

 

I tought my Mom would consider me absolutely crazy taking to these pastimes at my age; however, now we are in fact taking flamenco classes together.

[FlexNPointe123]

I am only a kid, but for me, already, ballet has made me:

-More of an adult

-Healthy and Strong

-Smarter

-Different Cultures (my teachers are Russian)

-To be a better person

-DISCIPLINE

-The way that different teachers and people do things

-It is always there, it cant decide not to be there for me, and leave me all alone

-It is something to fall back upon in anger and sadness, also happiness!

-To appreciate different things, and prove that boys and girls can do anything!

-That POINTE HURTS!! But I still love it!

 

That is all I can think of, but ballet has changed my life forever!

[DreadPirateRoberts]

Over the past three years as an adult ballet student I have been learning the following:

 

1) To (mostly) accept my body's limitations with good humor and a smile.

The worst, by far, was putting on tights for the very first time and walking

into a class where I was the only guy. I couldn't even do the most basic things

because I was so mortified.

 

2) To appreciate small improvements... Every extra millisecond I can stand in passe,

or when I remember a combination all the way through, or when I think I'm lifting my

leg a fraction of an inch higher... those are all wonderful moments.

 

3) To appreciate how amazingly gifted REAL performing dancers are, and how

dedicated they are.

 

4) As Hans put it so well: to accept corrections as positive things -- they are

for my improvement, and they indicate that the teacher is paying attention to me,

and cares about helping me improve. So now, they feel much better than they used to!

 

and finally

 

5) To be a more expressive, more aware, more alive-in-the-moment person... well, when

I'm not grimacing in agony, that is

[Sulan]

One of the most important things that taking ballet has taught me is how to strive for perfection, while accepting the fact that I will never achieve it.

[Danny]

I like your reply Sulan!

 

Once my teacher forced me to stand at the front in center work because she wanted me to stop watching others. It was freightening partially because I couldn't do the steps, but mostly because I was afraid of what the other students thought. But I continued to stand in front and slowly improved. Ballet has essentially eliminated the anxiety and self-doubt that has plagued me since childhood. It's not that I can do things flawlessly now but I no longer let the anxiety disrupt or affect me. Beyond the theater, I actually believe ballet helped me score higher in the GRE's and all my other exams.

 

Danny

[dido]

I learned that the human body (of any shape and size) is a truly amazing mechanism. Instead of focusing on superficial and idiotic shortcomings I've learned to wonder at just how much a body is capable of.

Everytime I go to class I feel so grateful that I get to really use it.

[Tiffany]

Kind of similar to Duckie9876's response, but ballet class almost unfailingly puts me in a good mood!