{"id":7766,"date":"2015-03-31T08:01:48","date_gmt":"2015-03-31T12:01:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beyondmommying.com\/blog\/?p=7766"},"modified":"2015-03-31T08:01:48","modified_gmt":"2015-03-31T12:01:48","slug":"ballet-is-just-for-me","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beyondmommying.com\/blog\/2015\/03\/31\/ballet-is-just-for-me\/","title":{"rendered":"Ballet is Just for ME"},"content":{"rendered":"

Once a week, for an hour and a half, I get to take ballet class. \u00a0Ballet has always been an important part of my life but it has taken on even more meaning as my life has become busier and busier with my children.<\/p>\n

\"Enya<\/a><\/p>\n

Ballet class has always been my main “work out”. \u00a0It has been my opportunity to move my body and (hopefully) get my heart rate up. \u00a0It gives me the opportunity to stretch and strengthen my body. \u00a0I always leave feeling refreshed, rejuvenated and physically recharged.<\/p>\n

But my weekly ballet class has become so much more than it ever was before because it is all about ME.<\/p>\n

When I enter that dance studio, I am simply ME. \u00a0I am not a mommy, a wife, a teacher, a blogger. \u00a0And while I’ve been dancing with many of the same women off and on for nearly three years and many of them now know my name, they don’t know much else about me. \u00a0And honestly, I like it that way.<\/p>\n

I get to walk in that studio and just focus on myself. \u00a0I don’t watch anyone else, worry about anyone else, or even really care about anyone else (except to make sure I’m not going to bump into them, of course!) \u00a0It is the only time in my life I really get to get lost in my own thoughts, my own body, my own passion.<\/p>\n

I can move, spin, jump, glide, fly, without any other worry in the world.<\/p>\n

Ballet is just for ME and as selfish as it sounds, I’m not sorry for that. \u00a0I don’t feel bad that I’m not overly social or that I don’t care about how anyone else in the class is dancing, because I only get 90 minutes a week to focus 100% on myself and I’m going to take full advantage. \u00a0I smile at my fellow dancers, I say “good morning” when I arrive and “see you next week!” when I leave. \u00a0I even sometimes make snappy remarks to people about the combinations but really, in that time, I’m only concerned about myself.<\/p>\n

Movement has always been my outlet. \u00a0I’ve choreographed dances to tell my stories and share my feelings. \u00a0I’ve danced through many struggles and hard times in my life. \u00a0My teacher growing up always told us that the dance studio should be our “safe place” where we could leave everything else at the door and just focus on the movement.<\/p>\n