Dance Your Heart Out!

Today is Thursday, July 9, the fourth day of RBK, and I have already taken ten ballet classes. I am part of group B, the second oldest group in the program, so my classes are more advanced than those of groups D and C, but I still enjoy joining in on the younger student’s ballet classes. For most of the members of group D, their first ballet class was also on their first day of the RBK summer intensive program. I assisted both the D girls’ and boys’ classes on Monday, and the day after my calves were killing me. I quickly arrived at the reason for this; beginning ballet classes focus mostly on the basics, especially plies and releves. A plie is a bending of the legs, while a releve is going up onto the balls of your feet. I have heard some of the students complaining of leg pains also, but to quote their ballet teacher, “If you hurt that means you’re doing it right.” So why do I take the extra classes? I love the tap dancing, drama, and singing of RBK, but my favorite style of dance will always be ballet.