Attend the Ballet
I love dance. It’s probably not something a lot of people know about me. But as a child, I was always twirling about, copying the pop-stars on TV.
I was put into dance classes at a young age covering tap, jazz, and ballet. I stuck with it for a good few years as well, working my way through all the grades (dance is graded similar to musical instruments 1 through 8), and even got myself a First Gold Bar in one discipline! I ended up quite a collection of awards, including two Millennium medals and two Golden Jubilee medals. There is a photo of me somewhere where I’m about 9 years old, in a pristine white leotard and matching tutu stuck out at right angles… with a bright pink cast on my arm! I had broken it trying to roller-skate or in P.E. class. I forget which because I have actually broken both arms. My physical skills didn’t stray much beyond the world of dance.
I tried lots of styles too, even joining the ladies line dancing team which was fun and exposed me to friendships outside my age range.
All of which is to say, that I wasn’t unfamiliar with the ballet with my school putting on two large productions a year - a summer recital and the Christmas pantomime. And even though my dance career ended around secondary school (when my health took a turn for the worse), I still enjoy critiquing the celebrities on Strictly Come Dancing at the weekend from the sofa! Or joining a Zumba class to get a cardio kick.
Eventually, I did just attend a ballet for the joy of it rather than as a member of the cast. Back in December 2022, Matthew Bourne’s Sleeping Beauty was running at the Sadler’s Wells theatre in London and my then boyfriend was kind enough to indulge me and take me. Matthew Bourne’s productions are wonderful as he takes traditional ballets and gives them a modern twist, which really appeals to how I have matured. Someone who loves a cover of Aerosmith’s I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing in the style of an Argentine tango is bound to love a ballet with vampires!
Perhaps one for a bucket list would be to make it to Moscow and see a ballet at the Bolshoi Theatre one day?
Posts in this series
- Complete a 3 Peaks Challenge
- Go Horseback Riding
- See an Iconic West End Theatre Show
- See an Orchestra in Concert
- Have a Professional Photoshoot
- Take a Hot Air Balloon Ride at Sunrise
- Go on a Whale Watching Expedition
- Go on a Wildlife Safari
- Go Snorkelling or Scuba Diving
- See the Northern Lights
- Attend the Ballet
- 40 Before 40 Challenge