As a Ballet BC UP committee member I have been able to attend some fabulous events, as well as watch Ballet BC’s astounding No. 29 from the safety of my seat in the darkened Queen Elizabeth Theatre; but with Ballet BC UP’s Ballet 101 class I finally had the opportunity to get truly up-close-and-personal with ballet.
Photo: Gilbert Small
Walking into the esteemed Scotiabank Dance Centre as a completely novice and untrained dancer can feel daunting, and even a little scary. Some of the thoughts running through my head were “what if I’m the only one who doesn’t know what I’m doing? What if I trip and fall in front of everyone?! Should I wear socks, or not wear socks?? Oh God, what if my feet smell!?!”
Luckily all of those fears and questions melted away as everyone gathered into the rehearsal room (and I could confirm that no, my feet didn’t smell) and prepared for a delightful and fun afternoon ballet class.
Effervescent Ballet BC dancers Racheal Prince and Gilbert Small led the class of 30 men and women through the motions; starting with a quick warm-up and heading to the barre to begin teaching the group some of the basics of ballet. Laughs and giggles would fill the room as we each tried to keep up with Racheal and Gilbert.
Photo: Rachel Meyer
While some of the participants seemed to have had at least some ballet training, the relaxed and laid back class was a perfect mix for all skill levels, and was quite a workout as well! Racheal and Gilbert were fantastic teachers, joking around throughout the class and having just as much fun as we all were.
The class ended off with a series of floor exercises where we took turns leaping, prancing and bounding across the room. We weren’t quite ready to hit the stage; but in the warm glow of the afternoon sunlight, we all became ballerinas.
Ballet BC UP is a group geared towards young professionals in their 20s, 30s and 40s who enjoy the arts, and more specifically, ballet. For more information on how to join, check out www.balletbc.com/up/.
Feature Photo: Racheal Prince
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